Police in Haiti clashed with gangs on Thursday night in an operation that killed seven gang members and led police to destroy a helicopter after a forced landing, authorities said. In an operation in the Croix des Bouquets area on the outskirts of capital Port-au-Prince, a helicopter had a “suspected malfunction” and had to make an emergency landing, according to a statement from Haitian National Police (PNH) published on Facebook. The officers are safe but torched the helicopter so gangs could not recover it for their use, the police said.
Earlier Friday, social media videos showed gang members celebrating next to the wreckage of the helicopter. Seven gang members were killed, according to PNH Spokesman Garry Desrosiers. Police also recovered a Barrett semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle that was used in the shoot out, which is a “high capacity” weapon that is “often used to terrorize the civilian population,” police said. The Croix des Bouquets area is controlled by the Viv Ansanm, which means “Living Together,” a powerful gang coalition that has been designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organisation.
Criminal groups have expanded their control in Haiti in recent years and now control 90 per cent of the capital. Gang violence has also displaced a record 1.4 million people, according to the UN International Organization for Migration. The UN Has backed a mission led by Kenyan police to combat gangs in Haiti, but the mission has been mired with criticism, including that it has been understaffed and underfunded.
