Gangs launched a new attack on the Haitian capital early Tuesday, targeting an upscale Port-au-Prince community where gunmen clashed with residents who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with police.
The Pétionville attack was carried out by the Viv Ansanm group, whose leader, Jimmy Chérizier, a former elite police officer, announced the plan in a video posted on social media.
At least 28 suspected gang members were killed and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized, according to Lionel Lazarre, deputy spokesman for the Haitian national police.
It could not immediately be determined whether police had prepared for the attack or tried to protect Pétionville preemptively, given that Chérizier, also known as Barbecue, had announced its intention to attack him. Mr. Lazarre did not respond to a request for comment.
Witnesses told The Associated Press that residents were furious over yet another gang attack on their community. They said some of the suspected shooters were decapitated or had their feet cut off, while the bodies were piled up and set on fire.
The attack comes days after gang violence forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for the second time this year, as the country swore in a new prime minister following political infighting .
Gang violence has forced more than 20,000 people to flee Port-au-Prince in recent days, according to the United Nations.
