Haiti militants kill 11 in response to UN force operation

In the central region of Haiti, Artibonite on September 28, at least 11 local residents were killed in an attack by gang members. The attack was a revenge of the bandits for the earlier operation of the security forces, reports Reuters, citing local authorities.

The operation was carried out by the Sri Lankan unit of the UN-supported multinational anti-gang mission. The fighters managed to push back members of the group “Kokorat San Ras” (Kokorat San Ras), which set up illegal points on the roads toll, said the mayor Hubert Senyak. Three militants were killed during the clash.

After the international forces left the area a few hours later and returned to their base in Gonaives, the bandits carried out a punitive raid. “As revenge, they attacked residents, killed people and burned houses,” Senyak said. Rosie Ducena, the head of the National Network for Human Rights Protection, said the exact number of victims and the scale of the destruction were still being clarified, but several members of the same family had already been confirmed dead.

Artibonite is a key agricultural region of Haiti with a population of over 1.5 million people, much of which is controlled by armed groups. The mandate of the international security forces in the republic expires this week, and a vote in the UN Security Council on its extension is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Ernest Philippowski