 "A soldier carries out an anti-gang operation in the Kenscoff neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. File image/ AP")
At least three Haitian soldiers were slain in an apparent gang ambush Sunday in a village on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, according to Haitian officials.
Kenscoff has come under severe fire in recent days as Haitian police enforcement clashed with the Viv Ansanm gang alliance. It’s just the latest outbreak of bloodshed as Haitian authorities and international forces work to control gang warring in the Caribbean nation.
Haiti’s government stated in a post on the social networking site X that the troops died “on the front line… weapons in hand.”
“These soldiers are not just members of our armed forces. They are worthy sons of the Nation, defenders of our sovereignty, whose ultimate sacrifice will never be forgotten. Their commitment is a powerful reminder that freedom and security come at a price, and that this price is sometimes paid in the blood of our bravest,” wrote the Haitian government in a statement.
Local media reported earlier in the day that a military reinforcement mission, traveling in an unarmored car, was transporting soldiers to a conflictive area in Kenscoff, when the soldiers were violently targeted by heavily armed men.
Videos circulating on social media showed soldiers in camouflage pulling bodies out of the truck.