Haiti has been plunged into fresh horror after heavily armed gang members launched a deadly overnight assault on the hillside community of Kenscoff, targeting a church sheltering displaced residents and leaving dozens of people dead.
The attack unfolded late Sunday near the capital, Port-au-Prince. Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said authorities had recovered around 40 bodies, while searches continued for people still missing. Some victims were reportedly killed execution-style, while others were wounded or abducted during the raid.
The United Nations later reported an even higher preliminary toll, saying at least 47 people were killed and 22 injured in the wider overnight gang attack. Officials warned that the figures could still change as authorities continue assessing the devastated area.
Among the locations targeted was a church being used as a temporary shelter for people who had already fled earlier waves of gang violence. Armed attackers also stormed homes and set properties ablaze as terrified residents scrambled for safety.
Massillon blamed members of the powerful Viv Ansanm gang coalition for the attack, saying the armed group had unleashed chaos across the community. The mayor told the Associated Press that communication and access problems initially made it difficult to determine the full number of casualties.
The massacre has triggered outrage among residents, some of whom accused authorities of failing to provide adequate protection despite the killings taking place only minutes from a police station.
Haiti’s government condemned what it described as a heinous criminal attack and announced that additional security forces were being deployed to Kenscoff. Authorities also vowed to pursue those responsible.
Kenscoff has become an increasingly important target for armed groups because of its strategic location overlooking major routes into Port-au-Prince. The area has suffered repeated attacks, kidnappings, killings and arson as gangs continue expanding their influence.
The latest bloodshed highlights Haiti’s deepening security crisis, with gang violence having displaced an estimated 1.5 million people nationwide.
For families already forced from their homes, the church was supposed to provide refuge. Instead, Sunday night turned their temporary sanctuary into the scene of yet another deadly chapter in Haiti’s escalating gang crisis.
