Gangs in Haiti open fire and hit a UN helicopter midair as violence surges


Gangs in Haiti open fire and hit a UN helicopter midair as violence surges

BY DÁNICA COTO AND EVENS SANON Updated 5:54 AM GMT+5, October 25, 2024 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Gangs on Thursday opened fire and hit a U.N. helicopter, forcing it to land in Port-au-Prince in the latest attack in Haiti’s capital as violence surges once again. No one was injured as several rounds of gunfire hit the helicopter that was carrying three crew members and 15 passengers, according to a U.N. source who was not authorized to confirm the incident. The helicopter, which had departed from Port-au-Prince before it was attacked, landed safely, the source said. The attack comes five months after Haiti’s main international airport reopened following coordinated gang attacks that forced it to close for nearly three months. The violence has spilled to nearby areas including Arcahaie, where some 50 suspected gang members died this week after attacking the coastal town located just northwest of the capital. Among the dead are at least a dozen gunmen who drowned after their boat capsized, a government official said Thursday. While the majority were killed by police, a group of gunmen drowned on Wednesday after their boat hit the reef as they ferried ammunition to gangs attacking the town of Arcahaie, said Wilner Réné from Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency. He told Radio Caraïbes that the attack began on Monday, with gunmen burning homes and cars across Arcahaie. When the gangs ran out of ammunition, they hid in nearby areas and were ferreted out by residents and police, he said.