By Zoila Palma: Guatemala has deployed a new contingent of military police to Haiti to support the international Gang Suppression Force (GSF) as authorities continue searching for four Salvadoran military personnel who went missing following an attack on their armored vehicle, CNW reports.
The Guatemalan military announced the deployment on Sunday, October 18, confirming that members of its 2nd Military Police Unit would participate in security operations aimed at addressing gang violence in Haiti.
The deployment ceremony was held at the Guatemalan Air Force base and attended by National Defense Minister Major General Henry David Sáenz Ramos and the United States military attaché accredited to Guatemala.
Although the military did not disclose the exact number of personnel, Spanish news agency EFE reported that more than 50 troops departed from La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. The deployment forms part of President Bernardo Arévalo de León’s commitment to send 300 Guatemalan military personnel to support the mission.
Meanwhile, four Salvadoran aviation technicians serving with the GSF went missing after armed groups attacked their armored vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, near Port-au-Prince.
El Salvador’s armed forces said the technicians were returning to their camp when attackers used explosives and set the vehicle on fire. Although the men escaped the burning vehicle, their whereabouts remained unknown as of Monday. Search efforts involving helicopters were complicated by gunfire and intense fighting in the area.
The incident highlights the security risks facing the international mission as it seeks to curb gang violence and restore access to key roads and infrastructure.
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