El Salvador Deploys Military to Secure Release of Missing Air Force Personnel in Haiti

El Salvador’s president has launched a military operation to rescue four air force personnel who have been missing in Haiti since Sunday.

Nayib Bukele warned on X that Wednesday’s attack was “nothing” compared to what would happen if the hostages — whom he said were not combatants — were not returned alive.

The personnel went missing after being ambushed by “heavily armed criminal groups,” according to El Salvador’s armed forces. The ambush occurred in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area controlled by armed groups.

They were part of the so-called Gang Suppression Force (GSF), authorized by the United Nations Security Council earlier this month, to address escalating gang violence in Haiti.

Bukele emphasized that the mission involved pilots and technical staff whose primary roles were to “carry out medical evacuations and save lives, not to wage war.”

His statement clarified that the sole objective of the Salvadoran military operation was to bring the four men back home safely.

Bukele noted that if all four were returned unharmed, “everything will go back to how it was before the kidnapping.”

He described their capture as “cowardly,” occurring while they were returning from purchasing food at a local market.

A statement from the Armed Forces of El Salvador on Sunday reported that the group was ambushed while returning to its camp in an armored vehicle, which caught fire after being hit by explosives.

To date, no gang has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Salvadoran helicopters were deployed to assist, with multiple land and air attempts hindered by ongoing combat and security conditions, the armed forces said.

Before Bukele announced the military operation, the GSF stated it was actively searching for the missing personnel following the attack.

The GSF reported engaging armed gang elements with helicopter support, noting that early reports indicated several gang members were killed.

This week, the UN warned that Haiti’s armed gangs are adapting to heightened security measures, escalating reprisals against civilians and expanding into rural areas.

Haiti has not held elections since 2016 and recently postponed its presidential and legislative elections — originally set for December 13 — indefinitely.

The nation continues to face economic instability, a political vacuum, and intensifying gang violence since its president was assassinated in 2021.

In 2024 alone, over 5,500 people have been killed in gang-related violence. Armed groups currently control approximately 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

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