El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele announced on Wednesday that a group of Haitian gangs had taken hostage four Salvadoran members of a UN-backed security force. In response, Bukele initiated a military operation to ensure the safe return of the captured individuals.

The joint efforts of El Salvador’s military and the UN Gang Suppression Force, tasked with assisting Haitian law enforcement in combating powerful gangs, faced challenges due to intense fighting in the area where the Salvadorans went missing. Bukele confirmed the launch of a military operation to rescue the hostages but did not disclose specific details about the mission or the identity of the group responsible for the abduction.

The Gang Suppression Force did not provide immediate comments on the situation. The four Salvadorans disappeared after escaping from a burning armored vehicle that was ambushed by armed gangs as they were traveling back from a market to their base in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Haitian gangs have strengthened their control over the capital and neighboring regions in recent years due to a lack of effective governance, widespread extortion, and the influx of illegal firearms, mainly originating from the United States. Despite international efforts, including contributions from countries like Chad and Sri Lanka to the Gang Suppression Force, the mission has faced challenges in reaching its full capacity and making a significant impact on Haiti’s security situation.

President Bukele clarified that the missing individuals were aviation technicians and not combatants. He emphasized that their role was primarily focused on conducting medical evacuations and saving lives rather than engaging in combat operations. The government of Haiti declared the recovery of the abducted technicians as a top priority and announced collaborative efforts with the Gang Repression Force to strengthen operations and secure the safe return of the Salvadoran soldiers.