suspected gang members ambush police officers and kill an agent

Suspected gang members ambushed a group of police officers, setting their armored vehicle on fire and killing an officer in the latest attack on the Haitian National Police, authorities said.

The attack occurred Wednesday night in the Source Matelas community north of the capital Port-au-Prince, police said.

“This criminal act is more than reprehensible and will not go unpunished,” the Haitian National Police wrote in a statement, adding that its officers will not be intimidated.

A video circulating on social networks shows the body of the policeman while alleged gang members mention the name of Izo, leader of the “5 Seconds” gang, while one of them poses with the victim.

Gangs are estimated to control up to 80% of the capital and have taken control of communities north of Port-au-Prince previously considered safe as they have grown more powerful since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

More than 21 police officers were killed in the first three months of the year, according to the United Nations. That number has risen, with another three killed in early April, and the UN chief and others are pushing for the immediate deployment of an international armed force that Haiti’s prime minister called for in October to curb gang violence.

However, no one has shown interest in leading such a force.

The Haitian National Police grapples with a severe shortage of personnel and resources, with around 13,200 officers on active duty for a country of more than 11 million people.

The international community has provided police training and equipment, including armored vehicles paid for by the Haitian government, but several of those vehicles have ended up in the hands of heavily armed gangs.

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