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Salvadoran troops target Haitian gang, leaving 20 dead
Confirmed
In Short: The reported strike comes amid intensified security efforts against armed groups in the Cul-de-Sac Plain, where Haitian forces and Salvadoran troops have been involved in operations following the disappearance of four Salvadoran aviation technicians in a gang ambush in Santo on Oct. 18.
The bodies were initially claimed by a non-governmental organization to be four El Salvadoran air technicians who had been kidnapped by gangs in Haiti. According to Bukele, one of the bodies was of a person significantly taller than the missing air technicians, and another was wearing a uniform not from the Salvadoran military.
El Salvador's military vehicles arrived in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince as part of a mission to retrieve four nationals who went missing in the Caribbean country almost two weeks ago. The four Salvadorans went missing on Sunday after they leapt from a burning armored vehicle that was ambushed by armed gangs on the outskirts of the capital while returning from a market to their base, security officials said.
El Salvador's president threatened last week in an X post to wipe out Haiti's gangs, saying he would replicate action he has taken in El Salvador if they did not release the Salvadorans. Bukele launched a military operation to rescue the four men, warning of a more forceful response if they were not returned alive and unharmed.
El Salvador's military destroyed the headquarters of one of Haiti's largest crime gangs, 400 Mawozo, according to Bukele. He wrote, 'We destroyed the house of [gang leader] Lanmo San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters,' as reported by Al Jazeera and BBC.
More than 5,000 people have been killed or injured in Haiti due to gang violence this year, according to the United Nations. Data released by the UN indicates that between January and mid-September 2026, Haitian gang-related violence resulted in more than 5,700 deaths and injuries, alongside more than 230 reported kidnappings.
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé thanked the Salvadoran military's commitment 'in the fight against gangs' and said the two nations would keep working together, along with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), to 'regain control of the territory and restore state authority.'
The Gang Suppression Force mandate focuses on assisting the Haitian National Police, protecting critical infrastructure, and restoring order across urban centers controlled by armed coalitions.
Haitian gangs have cemented their influence over the capital and expanded to surrounding regions over recent years off the back of a longstanding political vacuum, widespread extortion, and a flow of illegal arms largely from the US.
The Salvadoran foreign ministry said the 'large-scale operation' was 'supported by various countries and international organisations.'
What this adds
The operation marks El Salvador's first military action on a Haitian target since deploying more than 2,000 soldiers there last month.
What's confirmed
- The bodies were initially claimed by a non-governmental organization to be four El Salvadoran air technicians who had been kidnapped by gangs in Haiti. According to Bukele, one of the bodies was of a person significantly taller than the missing air technicians, and another was wearing a uniform not from the Salvadoran military.
- El Salvador's military vehicles arrived in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince as part of a mission to retrieve four nationals who went missing in the Caribbean country almost two weeks ago. The four Salvadorans went missing on Sunday after they leapt from a burning armored vehicle that was ambushed by armed gangs on the outskirts of the capital while returning from a market to their base, security officials said.
- El Salvador's president threatened last week in an X post to wipe out Haiti's gangs, saying he would replicate action he has taken in El Salvador if they did not release the Salvadorans. Bukele launched a military operation to rescue the four men, warning of a more forceful response if they were not returned alive and unharmed.
- El Salvador's military destroyed the headquarters of one of Haiti's largest crime gangs, 400 Mawozo, according to Bukele. He wrote, 'We destroyed the house of [gang leader] Lanmo San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang’s headquarters,' as reported by Al Jazeera and BBC.
- More than 5,000 people have been killed or injured in Haiti due to gang violence this year, according to the United Nations. Data released by the UN indicates that between January and mid-September 2026, Haitian gang-related violence resulted in more than 5,700 deaths and injuries, alongside more than 230 reported kidnappings.
- The Gang Suppression Force mandate focuses on assisting the Haitian National Police, protecting critical infrastructure, and restoring order across urban centers controlled by armed coalitions.
- Haitian gangs have cemented their influence over the capital and expanded to surrounding regions over recent years off the back of a longstanding political vacuum, widespread extortion, and a flow of illegal arms largely from the US.
What's still developing
- El Salvador president says bodies found in Haiti are not those of hostages More than 5,000 people killed or injured in Haiti due to gang violence this year, UN says El Salvador's president threatens Haitian gangs over military hostages 'Super offensive' - we love how we look but AI tried to 'fix' our visible differences The Papers: 'Healey offers cold comfort' and 'A £100 trick or treat?' I earn £30,000.
- “Today, we have launched a military operation to rescue them,” Bukele said, without providing further details about the operation or identifying the group holding the Salvadorans hostage.
- Bukele said the four men are aviation technicians and that the Salvadoran mission in Haiti "consists only of pilots and technical personnel" whose main job is to carry out medical evacuations, "not to wage war." The U.N.-backed force is still fighting gangs in the community where Sunday's attack occurred, warning residents in the area to remain indoors.
- No one has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Salvadoran troops and it comes as Haiti prepares for its first general election in more than a decade.