Four Salvadoran Soldiers Missing After Gang Attack in Haiti

Four Salvadoran soldiers are unaccounted for after a gang attack in Haiti. It targeted the new foreign force.

Gangs in Haiti opened fire on an armored vehicle on Sunday, leaving four soldiers from El Salvador unaccounted for in the first major attack since an international gang suppression force began operations in the country.

The attack happened in Croix-des-Bouquets, a once-peaceful community in the Port-au-Prince area now controlled by violent gangs. El Salvador’s Armed Forces said in a statement Monday that four aviation technicians were returning to camp when their armored vehicle was attacked with explosives and set on fire. The men managed to flee the burning vehicle, it said, and it is working with international forces to establish contact and determine their location. Helicopters sent to the area also came under fire as they dispersed armed men. Salvadoran forces said multiple attempts to approach by land and air were hampered by the intensity of the fighting.

The gang suppression force said it is assessing the situation and has advised residents of the area to remain indoors. The area is controlled by gangs including Kraze Barye, led by Vitelhomme Innocent, and 400 Mawozo, led by Lanmo Sanjou. Both leaders are under United Nations and U.S. sanctions. No one has claimed responsibility. Romain Le Cour of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said some gangs have been under pressure since the force deployed, while others want to show they can strike back. He said that if the soldiers are being held, the groups gain leverage to negotiate and pressure the security forces.

The U.N. Security Council authorized the 5,550-member force in September 2025 to replace a Kenya-led multinational force that struggled with funding and resources. It currently has more than 1,500 troops in Haiti, including soldiers from Chad, Jamaica and Guatemala. The Security Council was scheduled to meet Monday on Haiti, and the attack was expected to dominate the discussion.

The attack comes as Haiti prepares for its first general elections in more than a decade. Gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti in recent years, according to the U.N. It said more than 5,700 people were killed or injured from January to mid-September, and more than 230 were kidnapped.

Information for this report was provided by The Associated Press via ABC News.