In brief
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has launched a military operation to recover four air force officers abducted by criminal groups in Haiti. Bukele described the soldiers’ mission as a medical evacuation, not a combat action, and threatened that Haitian gangs would not be shown mercy if the hostages are not safely returned. The ambush that left the men missing occurred in Croix‑des‑Bouquets, a territory largely controlled by armed gangs, while the soldiers were returning from a market. The Salvadoran armed forces deployed helicopters and attempted land approaches, but local security conditions hampered supplies. The UN has warned that Haitian gangs are intensifying reprisals as the country faces political paralysis and violence, with over 5,500 people killed by gang activity in 2024 alone.
El Salvador’s president announced a military operation aimed at rescuing four air force personnel missing in Haiti since Sunday.
President Nayib Bukele posted on X that the July 5 attack on the soldiers was “nothing” compared with the consequences if the hostages – who he described as non‑combatants – are not returned alive. He warned that the gangs would face retaliation if the kidnapped men were not safely recovered.
The four personnel were ambushed by heavily armed criminal groups in Croix‑des‑Bouquets, an area largely controlled by gangs, while traveling back to their camp in an armored vehicle that caught fire after being hit by explosives. No gang has yet claimed responsibility.
Bukele explained the mission’s objective: to transport the soldiers via helicopter to medical evacuation points, not to engage in combat. He added that if all four are returned unharmed, “everything will go back to how it was before the kidnapping.”
The Salvadoran forces deployed helicopters and made several attempts to approach the location by land and air, but fighting and local security conditions hindered operations. The Gang Suppression Force, approved by the UN Security Council earlier this month, had already been engaged in the area with helicopter support, reportedly killing several gang members.
Haiti remains in crisis, with no elections held since 2016 and political void following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. In 2024, over 5,500 people were killed by gang violence, with armed gangs controlling roughly 85 % of Port‑au‑Prince. The UN has warned that gangs are stepping up reprisals against civilians and expanding into rural zones amid intensified security measures.
