El Salvador deploys nearly 1,000 soldiers following gang ambush in Haiti
Following a gang ambush in Haiti where four Salvadoran security personnel went missing, El Salvador has deployed approximately 1,000 soldiers to the region. The details and command structure of the operation, which is receiving logistical support from the U.S., remain unclear.
El Salvador has deployed approximately 1,000 soldiers to Haiti following an October 18 gang ambush near the capital of Port-au-Prince in which four of its members went missing. According to a security official, this deployment carried out via aircraft in recent days significantly expands El Salvador's role in Haiti's gang conflicts.
The four Salvadoran air force technicians serving in the UN-backed security mission in Haiti vanished on October 18 after jumping from their burning vehicle during an ambush. President Nayib Bukele had announced that a military operation was launched to rescue the missing personnel and stated his belief that they were being held hostage by criminal groups. No gang has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The U.S. provided logistical support using C-130 transport planes to airlift the Salvadoran troops to Haiti. However, issues such as who will command the new Salvadoran contingent, how long they will remain in Haiti, or whether additional forces will be sent to the region remain uncertain.
Sources
- reuters.com · Link