El Salvador has started a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran soldiers abducted by gangs in Haiti, President Nayib Bukele announced in a post on X. He did not provide further details.
In a statement on Wednesday, Bukele warned that a more forceful response would follow if the men were not released alive and well. He addressed the gangs he said were holding them, writing: “Do not take our word for empty threats.” He added: “We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too.”
Four missing aviation technicians after armoured vehicle attack
The four men are aviation technicians serving with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF). Gangs in Haiti opened fire on an armoured vehicle carrying them three days before Bukele’s statement, in the first major attack since the international force began operating in the Caribbean country last year.
The men have been missing since they fled the burning vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. The GSF is still fighting gangs in the community where the attack took place and has warned residents to stay indoors. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for details.
Haiti’s government calls the soldiers’ release a priority
Haiti’s government said in a news release on Wednesday evening that freeing the abducted soldiers was an “absolute priority”. A meeting was held at the prime minister’s office to assess ongoing interventions and decide on measures to strengthen operations, in close collaboration with the gang force.
It was not immediately clear whether Haitian authorities had received any confirmation that the Salvadoran soldiers are alive.
Gang power shadows Haiti’s first election in a decade
The attack comes as Haiti prepares for its first general election in more than a decade. The incident also highlights the power of gangs, which control an estimated 70 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
El Salvador is one of several countries, including Chad, Jamaica and Guatemala, contributing to the force, which has more than 2,000 troops in Haiti. Citing the UN, the report said gang violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people in recent years. From January through mid-September this year, more than 5,700 people were killed or injured and more than 230 were kidnapped.
