Haiti Gangs Attack Salvadoran Troops as Four Soldiers Go Missing

Four Salvadoran aviation technicians serving with an international security mission in Haiti remained unaccounted for Monday after armed gangs attacked their armored vehicle in Croix-des-Bouquets, north of Port-au-Prince. The Sunday ambush, which involved firearms and explosives, marked the first major attack on the United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) since it began operations in the Caribbean nation.

El Salvador's military said the technicians were returning to their camp when attackers struck their vehicle, set it on fire and forced the occupants to flee. The military was working with international forces to establish contact with the missing personnel and determine their whereabouts.

Salvadoran authorities deployed helicopters to assist in the search, but the aircraft also came under gunfire. Attempts to reach the area by land and air were hindered by intense fighting, according to the military.

The New York Times reported that three people familiar with the situation initially described five Salvadoran soldiers as missing. However, El Salvador's military and officials addressing the United Nations Security Council identified four missing aviation technicians, and the discrepancy remained unexplained.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz condemned the attack during Monday's Security Council meeting and said officials believed the missing personnel had survived.

"We believe the four men survived, but they do remain unaccounted for. We will bring you home," said Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Waltz said the attackers had used hundreds of bullets and explosives against the vehicle. He warned that the assault would not force the international coalition to withdraw from Haiti.

"To the gangs and gang leaders who carried out this cowardly attack, if you think you're going to intimidate this coalition into retreat, you have made a terrible mistake," Waltz said.

Haiti's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Wien-Weibert Arthus, said the weapons and ammunition used by gangs originated outside the country, underscoring the challenge of preventing armed groups from obtaining supplies.

"This latest episode is a reminder, as if we really needed one, of the fact that the security challenges in Haiti are complex and complicated," Arthus said. "We hope that those who are missing will be able to go back to their families unscathed."

Gang Suppression Force special representative Jack Christofides said the mission was assessing the attack and had advised residents in the affected area to remain indoors. He also warned that gangs were increasingly targeting international personnel and retaliating against security operations through killings in some communities.

"The reality is that we cannot be everywhere at once," Christofides said.

The GSF officially began operations on June 1 and has deployed more than 2,000 personnel from six countries, including El Salvador, Chad, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mongolia and Sri Lanka. Its strength remains below the 5,550 personnel authorized by the Security Council in September 2025 to replace an earlier Kenya-led multinational mission that struggled with funding and resource shortages.

Christofides said the force had begun to see early signs of reduced gang influence in some areas but needed additional equipment, logistical support and funding to expand its operations. He also warned that armed groups were extending their reach into areas including Kenscoff and the Artibonite region.

Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, said the attack could reflect efforts by gangs to demonstrate their ability to retaliate as security forces increase pressure.

"If these soldiers are indeed being held, the groups gain (an) edge to negotiate and to pressure the security forces," Le Cour said.

The attack occurred in an area controlled by armed groups including Chèn Méchan, Kraze Barye and 400 Mawozo. The latter two are led by Vitelhomme Innocent and Lanmo Sanjou, respectively, both of whom have been sanctioned by the United Nations and the United States.

The violence comes as Haiti faces a deepening humanitarian and security crisis. United Nations figures cited by The Globe and Mail indicate that gang violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people, while more than 5,700 people were killed or injured between January and mid-September and more than 230 others were kidnapped.

United Nations Special Representative for Haiti Carlos Ruiz Massieu told the Security Council that more than 1,000 people were killed and over 100 abducted between July and September. He also warned that repeated election announcements without a credible assessment of their feasibility risk weakening public confidence in Haitian institutions.

Haiti has postponed its planned national elections indefinitely after previously scheduling the first round for Dec. 13. Massieu said preparations had nevertheless advanced, with more than 35 political parties and groups registered alongside 3,500 candidates, as gangs continue to control an estimated 70 percent of Port-au-Prince.