Four Salvadoran soldiers abducted in Haiti – Bukele threatens gangs
President Bukele issued threats against Haitian gangs following the abduction of four Salvadoran soldiers near Port-au-Prince.
Bukele declares "military operation" in Haiti for four abducted soldiers
In.gr reports that El Salvador's president, Nayib Bukele, issued open threats against Haitian gangs on Wednesday after they abducted four Salvadoran soldiers. The four men belonged to the International Anti-Gang Force (IAF), which has been deployed in Haiti under the auspices of the United Nations.
On Sunday, four aircraft mechanics came under attack by armed gunmen while returning from shopping in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. Since then, their whereabouts have been unknown.
Bukele announced via his account on the platform X that he had launched a "military operation" for their release, posting a video showing military vehicles at an unspecified location, with gunfire audible in the background.
"I want you, the leaders of the gangs, to hear something very clearly: today's attack is nothing compared to what will follow," the Salvadoran president wrote in a message in Creole.
"We have already dealt with the gangs in El Salvador and we can do the same with you," he added.
Bukele clarified that the abducted men are not combatants but air force technical personnel, whose main mission is medical evacuation and civilian rescue. At the same time, he urged them to avoid escalation: "You still have time. Return our four compatriots to us alive and unharmed, and everything will return to how it was before the abduction."
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has been in deep political and economic crisis for years. Armed gangs have expanded their control over much of the country, committing murders, abductions, rapes and recruiting minors.
Source: In.gr