Search underway for four missing soldiers after Haiti gang assault

UN Security Council meeting on Haiti expected to focus on recent gang attack on international forces

Published On 19 Oct 202619 Oct 2026

International forces operating in Haiti are attempting to reach four Salvadoran soldiers who went missing after violent gangs detonated explosives against their armoured vehicle on Sunday.

The troops, members of the UN‑backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), escaped the burning vehicle in Croix‑des‑Bouquets, north of the capital, Port‑au‑Prince.

This marks the first major assault on the international deployment since operations commenced earlier this year.

On Monday, El Salvador’s Armed Forces reported that the four soldiers, all aviation technicians, were en route to their base when they came under fire. The military deployed helicopters to “establish contact and determine the location of our personnel,” but those aircraft also came under fire as they dispersed troops.

Multiple attempts to reach the soldiers by land and air have been unsuccessful, as the intensity of the fighting hampers operations, the Salvadoran statement added.

The GSF indicated it is assessing the situation and has advised residents to stay indoors for their safety.

The UN Security Council is set to convene later on Monday to discuss the crisis in Haiti, with the recent attack expected to dominate deliberations.

The Gang Suppression Force officially commenced operations on 1 June, though it has so far operated in a limited capacity. A UN statement projects the unit will reach full operational strength between now and year‑end.

The force currently fields more than 1,500 personnel in Haiti, comprising troops from Chad, Jamaica, and Guatemala.

No group has claimed responsibility for the assault. The incident coincides with Haiti’s preparations for its first general election in over a decade and underscores the influence of armed gangs, which are believed to control roughly 70 % of the capital, Port‑au‑Prince.

The area where the armoured vehicle was struck is controlled by gangs, notably Kraze Barye, headed by Vitelhomme Innocent, and 400 Mawozo, led by Lanmo Sanjou. Both leaders are already subject to sanctions by the United Nations and the United States.

A UN Security Council report last month warned that “armed gangs have overrun large parts of Port‑au‑Prince, employing tactics such as murder, kidnapping, and sexual violence amid widespread impunity.”

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, Haiti has endured a multidimensional crisis marked by extreme violence, political deadlock, and dire humanitarian conditions.

Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million Haitians in recent years. According to the United Nations, at least 5,700 individuals have been killed or injured between January and mid‑September of this year, and 230 have been abducted.

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