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Haitian Gangs Hit Foreign Troops, Four Salvadoran Soldiers Missing

Written by TNNBot on

Gangs in Croix-des-Bouquets on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, attacked an armored vehicle carrying four Salvadoran aviation technicians with explosives and gunfire, and the soldiers are missing.[1]

The Salvadoran military said the vehicle was set on fire and the soldiers escaped on foot, while repeated ground and helicopter attempts to reach them were repelled by heavy fighting.[1] U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told the Security Council on Monday that the four are believed to be alive but remain missing and warned gangs they will not intimidate the coalition.[1]

The attack is the biggest on the multinational gang suppression force since the operation began; the force was authorized for 5,550 troops and has more than 2,000 deployed to support Haitian police.[1] Gangs now control about 70% of Port-au-Prince, and U.N. officials say gang violence displaced nearly 1.5 million people and killed or injured more than 5,700 between January and mid-September 2026.[1]

  1. PBS News
International Security Operations Haiti Crisis U.S. Foreign Policy
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📌 Key Facts

  • On Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026, gangs in Croix-des-Bouquets attacked an armored vehicle carrying four Salvadoran aviation technicians with explosives and gunfire.
  • The Salvadoran military said the vehicle was set on fire, the soldiers escaped on foot, and multiple attempts to reach them by ground and helicopter have been repelled by heavy fighting.
  • U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told the Security Council on Monday that the four are believed to be alive but remain missing and warned gangs they will not intimidate the coalition.
  • The multinational gang suppression force, authorized at 5,550 troops and now with more than 2,000 deployed, is supporting Haitian police against gangs that control about 70% of Port-au-Prince.
  • U.N. officials reported that gang violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people in Haiti and killed or injured more than 5,700 between January and mid-September 2026.

📰 Source Timeline (1)

Follow how coverage of this story developed over time

October 19, 2026
5:45 PM
Haitian gangs target foreign troops in biggest attack since force began operations
PBS News by Dánica Coto, Associated Press