President Nayib Bukele says he has initiated military operation to rescue four Salvadoran soldiers abducted in Haiti.
El Salvador has initiated a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran soldiers abducted by gangs in Haiti, President Nayib Bukele announced in a post on X, without elaborating.
Bukele, known for his intense crackdown on gang violence in El Salvador, warned in Wednesday’s statement that a more forceful response was coming if the personnel were not released alive and well.
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“Do not take our word for empty threats,” the president wrote, addressing the gangs allegedly responsible for holding the four men. “We have already finished with the gangs in El Salvador, and we can finish with you too.”
Gangs in Haiti opened fire on an armoured vehicle carrying the men three days earlier, in the first major attack since an international gang suppression force began operating in the violence-wracked Caribbean country last year.
The four men, aviation technicians with the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), have been missing since they fled the burning vehicle in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, Port-au-Prince.
‘Absolute priority’
Haiti’s government issued a news release on Wednesday evening saying the release of the abducted soldiers was an “absolute priority”.
It was not immediately clear if Haitian authorities received any confirmation that the Salvadoran soldiers are alive.
The government said a meeting was held at the prime minister’s office “to assess the ongoing interventions and determine the necessary measures to strengthen operations, in close collaboration with the Gang Repression Force”.
A spokesperson for the GSF did not immediately respond to a message seeking details
The UN-backed force is still fighting gangs in the community where Sunday’s attack occurred, warning residents in the area to remain indoors.
More than a million displaced in Haiti
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Salvadoran troops, which comes as Haiti prepares for its first general election in more than a decade. It also showcases the power of the gangs that control an estimated 70 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
El Salvador is among several countries – including Chad, Jamaica and Guatemala – to form part of the gang suppression force, with more than 2,000 troops on the ground in Haiti.
Gang violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people in Haiti in recent years. More than 5,700 people have been killed or injured from January through mid-September this year, and more than 230 have been kidnapped, according to the UN.
The area where the armoured vehicle was targeted is controlled by gangs, including Chèn Méchan; Kraze Barye, led by Vitel’Homme Innocent; and 400 Mawozo, led by Lanmo Sanjou.
Both gang leaders have been sanctioned by the UN and the US.