Remains found in Haiti may be four Salvadoran soldiers missing after ambush

Remains possibly belonging to four Salvadoran troops who disappeared following an attack in Haiti were found beyond Port-au-Prince on October 24, according to The Straits Times, which cited The New York Times. The remains were badly burned, and autopsies would be required to establish their identities, the report said.¹

Identities await confirmation

According to The Straits Times, the remains were handed over at Haiti’s international airport to Salvadoran military personnel who had arrived by air. The international security mission declined to comment, and Reuters could not immediately verify the report, according to the newspaper.¹

The New York Times had reported on October 23 that four Salvadoran soldiers were missing after an ambush while serving with a United Nations-backed anti-gang task force. It also reported that remains found in Haiti might belong to the missing men.²

Attack on an armored vehicle

Associated Press identified the four missing personnel as Salvadoran aviation technicians and placed the attack in Croix-des-Bouquets. The Salvadoran military said explosives struck their armored vehicle and it was set alight. AP described the incident as the first major attack against the newly operating international Gang Suppression Force.³

According to The Straits Times, the four men disappeared after jumping from the burning vehicle near Port-au-Prince. President Nayib Bukele said gangs were holding them, the newspaper reported, and El Salvador began a military operation intended to recover all four alive.¹

EL PAÍS reported that the soldiers were returning to their camp when armed attackers opened fire, prompting an exchange of gunfire. Its account placed the interception in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, about 12 kilometers from Port-au-Prince and close to the airport.⁴

The same report said a soldier requested reinforcements and Salvadoran helicopters were sent to assist. The helicopters also sustained bullet strikes, according to EL PAÍS. The newspaper said the Salvadoran army and presidential office did not respond to requests for information about rescue efforts.⁴

Search and mission strength

El Salvador sent hundreds of troops to search for the soldiers, The New York Times reported. The Straits Times also described additional Salvadoran deployments for search and security operations. No group had publicly claimed responsibility, according to The Straits Times, although it said local media linked the ambush to Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo.¹²

The United Nations-authorized multinational Gang Suppression Force has approximately 2,000 troops deployed, against an authorized maximum of 5,500, The Straits Times reported. It said an earlier Kenyan-led security mission had faced insufficient funding, equipment and personnel. Gangs hold extensive areas of Port-au-Prince, and between 1.4 million and 1.5 million people have been displaced, according to the same report.¹