At least a dozen gang members drowned while carrying ammunition to gunmen near Haiti, official says

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Nearly 50 suspected gang members are dead after an attack on a coastal town in Haiti this week, including at least a dozen who drowned when their boat capsized, a government official said Thursday.

Wilner Réné of the Haitian Civil Protection Agency said that the majority were killed by the police, but a group of gunmen drowned when their boat crashed into the reef while carrying ammunition to the gangs that attacked the town of Arcahaie on Wednesday.

He told Radio Caraïbes that the attack began on Monday when gunmen burned homes and cars in the town, just northwest of Port-au-Prince.

He said the gangs hid in nearby areas when they ran out of ammunition and were discovered by local residents and police.

The attack is still ongoing and Réné warned that officers at the scene urgently needed reinforcements from soldiers and special police units.

The gang coalition called Viv Ansanm is responsible for the attack. Targeted communities in Port-au-Prince recently.

Surge in gang violence comes just months after a UN-backed mission It started under the leadership of the Kenyan police In an effort to quell an increase in violence from gangs that control more than 80% of Port-au-Prince. More than 700,000 people were left homeless, thousands were killed and the country’s main airport was forced to close almost three months Due to violence earlier this year.

The US government and senior Haitian officials warned that the Kenya-led mission lacked personnel and funding and called for its replacement with the UN peacekeeping mission.