Armed Gang Ambushes Police Patrol In Haiti, Two Officers Killed And Three Wounded

Port-au-Prince, Haiti— Two police officers were killed and three others wounded Thursday when an armed gang ambushed a police patrol in Haiti's capital, opening fire from rooftops and alleyways.

The ambush happened at 11:00 a.m. in the Martissant area, a corridor long controlled by gangs. The patrol, two vehicles with eight officers from the Haitian National Police anti-gang unit, was moving through the neighborhood to escort a fuel convoy. Gunmen were waiting.

The first burst hit the lead vehicle. The driver lost control and crashed into a wall. Gang members then fired from two sides. The officers returned fire but were outgunned. Two officers died inside the vehicle. Three others were hit while trying to take cover.

Reinforcements arrived 25 minutes later. They were supported by an armored vehicle. The gang retreated into the slum, taking their wounded. The area was cordoned off. Shell casings from automatic rifles were scattered across the road.

"We lost two brave officers today. They were doing their job in an area where the state is under attack," a Haitian National Police spokesperson said in Port-au-Prince. "The gangs want to stop fuel and food from moving. We will not stop patrolling."

Haiti's security crisis has worsened this year. Gangs control an estimated 85 percent of the capital. Police are outnumbered and under-equipped. International support from the Kenya-led security mission has been slow to deploy.

The two officers killed were identified as members of the SWAT unit with five and seven years of service. Their names were withheld pending family notification. The three injured were taken to Bernard Mevs Hospital. One is in critical condition.

The fuel convoy they were escorting never reached its destination. Gas stations in the capital remained closed Thursday afternoon. Long lines formed.

The government announced a day of mourning for the officers. No arrests have been made.