El Salvador's president ordered a military operation after four air force personnel were kidnapped by armed gangs in Haiti, warning of severe consequences if they are not returned unharmed.
01Summary
- 01Four members of El Salvador's Gang Suppression Force have been missing since Sunday after an ambush in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti.
- 02President Nayib Bukele said the mission's objective is to bring the four men home alive and threatened further action if they are not returned unharmed.
- 03The ambushed armoured vehicle caught fire after being hit by explosives, and rescue attempts by land and air were hampered by fighting.
- 04The Gang Suppression Force was approved by the UN Security Council earlier this month to tackle escalating gang violence in Haiti.
- 05More than 5,500 people were killed in gang-related violence in Haiti in 2024, and gangs control about 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
02Why it matters
The kidnapping of Salvadoran military personnel highlights the severe security crisis in Haiti, where gangs threaten international peacekeeping efforts and civilians face daily violence.
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