El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele says he has launched a military operation to rescue four air force personnel missing in Haiti since Sunday.
In a post on X, Bukele said Wednesday’s attack would be “nothing” compared with what follows if the hostages are not returned alive. He stressed that the four men are not combatants.
What Happened
El Salvador’s armed forces said armed criminal groups ambushed the group in Croix-des-Bouquets. Gangs control the area.
According to the Salvadoran military, the men were travelling back to their camp in an armoured vehicle. Explosives hit it, and it caught fire. No gang has claimed responsibility so far.
Bukele said the men were kidnapped “in a cowardly manner” as they returned from buying food at a market.
The group belonged to the Gang Suppression Force (GSF). The UN Security Council approved the force earlier this month to tackle rising gang violence in Haiti.
Bukele’s Message
The president said the mission was made up of pilots and technical staff. Their main job, he said, was to carry out medical evacuations and save lives, not to wage war.
He said the operation has one aim: to bring the four men home alive. If all four return unharmed, he added, “everything will go back to how it was before the kidnapping.”
Search Efforts
The armed forces said Salvadoran helicopters were deployed. Several attempts to approach by land and air were hampered by fighting and local security conditions.
On Wednesday, before Bukele announced his operation, the GSF said it was searching for the missing personnel. It said it had engaged armed gang members with helicopter support. Early reports suggested several gang members were killed.
Haiti’s Deepening Crisis
Earlier this week, the UN warned that Haiti’s gangs were adapting to tighter security. It said they were stepping up reprisals against civilians and extending their reach into rural areas.
Haiti has not held elections since 2016. Two weeks ago, authorities postponed indefinitely the presidential and legislative elections set for December 13.
The country has faced economic chaos, a political vacuum and worsening gang warfare since its president was assassinated in 2021. More than 5,500 people died in gang-related violence in 2024. Armed gangs now control about 85% of Port-au-Prince.
