Four soldiers of UN-backed force in Haiti missing after ambush

Four Salvadoran soldiers serving with a UN-backed force in Haiti are missing after their armored vehicle was ambushed near the capital Port-au-Prince, officials said Monday.

The attack happened on Sunday and targeted members of the Gang Suppression Force (GFS), which is tasked with helping stabilize the Caribbean nation plagued by violence and political chaos.

US envoy Mike Waltz told the Security Council that the soldiers were ambushed as they were returning to base from a market outside Port-au-Prince.

"These thugs attacked their armored vehicle with hundreds of bullets and explosives. By God's grace, we believe four of the men survived, but they do remain unaccounted for," he said.

"To our four Salvadoran brothers in arms. You are not forgotten. The GSF is with you. The United States is with you, and we will bring you home," Waltz said.

Egriselda Lopez, the representative for El Salvador, said efforts were ongoing to establish contact with the four soldiers and determine their whereabouts.

"El Salvador strongly condemns this attack against our deployed personnel, and we express our deep concern regarding the situation of the four personnel, our compatriots," she said.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said: "We condemn such kidnapping and we call for their immediate and safe release."

Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has long been in crisis but the situation has deteriorated in recent years as gangs step up killings, kidnappings, rape and child recruitment.

The GSF is being slowly deployed to assist overwhelmed local police. The mission is intended to reach 5,500 personnel.

Currently, it has only 2,000 members from six contributing countries, according to Jack Christofides, special representative for the GSF.

He told the Security Council there were signs of reduced gang control in areas where the GSF is active, but urged caution.

"We should recognize this progress without overstating it. Gangs are testing the GSF. We recorded an increase in hostile incidents against our force from two to 15 in a single month," Christofides said.

Earlier this month, Haitian authorities indefinitely postponed elections that were due to be held in December.

The country has not held elections since 2016, and its last president, assassinated in 2021, has not been replaced.