Gang members stormed a church sheltering displaced people near Haiti’s capital, killing around 40 people, including some in execution-style killings, according to the town’s mayor.
Kenscoff Mayor Massillon Jean told on Monday that the attack took place on Sunday night in the mountainous town, located in the hills above the capital, reports AFP.
“We have counted around 40 bodies. Searches are continuing. Some people are still missing,” Jean said.
He described the incident as “a night of terror” in Kenscoff, which has faced gang violence for several months.
The attackers targeted several locations, including a site where people displaced by earlier violence had sought refuge.
“The bandits raided a displaced persons camp located in a church. They executed several people. There are fatalities and dozens of wounded. Some people were abducted by the criminals,” Jean said.
The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime expressed “deep compassion” for the victims and their bereaved families in a statement following the attack.
The government also said it would deploy reinforcements to the area to restore security.
Kenscoff, a mountainous municipality southeast of the Haitian capital, has witnessed clashes and incursions by armed groups for months as they seek to expand their control.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has endured years of political instability, natural disasters, corruption and widespread gang violence. Powerful gangs carry out killings, rapes, looting and kidnappings and control large parts of the capital city.
Nearly 1.5 million people are currently displaced across Haiti, which has a population of about 11 million. More than five million people are also facing severe food insecurity, according to UN figures.
The country’s crisis deepened in early 2024 when gangs launched a wave of violence that forced the unelected prime minister to resign.
Haiti has not held an election of any kind since 2016. Its last president, Jovenel Moise, was assassinated in July 2021 and was not replaced.
The country is scheduled to hold a general election in December this year.
