Gang Attack in Haiti Kills 47, More Than 50 Kidnapped

At least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped when armed men attacked the community of Kenscoff, in the hills above Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, the United Nations said Tuesday. It is believed to be one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years.

A gang leader who identified himself as Izo 2 threatened to kill the hostages if authorities move against gang members while trying to secure the area. The threat, posted in a social media video, was directed at Vladimir Paraison, director of Haiti's National Police.

"Paraison, if any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them," the gang member said, referring to the hostages.

At least five of the 47 killed were children, according to the U.N. Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, noting that 22 victims were reportedly executed in a church compound where they had sought shelter.

Kenscoff resident Marc Paul, 42, said gangs kidnapped his brother, stepmother, stepfather and two cousins, and that his 16-year-old niece was kidnapped and raped but escaped. "I had to run over bodies," he said, describing his flight from the attack.

Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said gangs set fire to 25 homes and killed two government employees, including his cousin, who was part of his security detail.

Romain Le Cour, of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, called the attack "a major political and security test" for the government, police and the international mission, and said the threat to execute hostages is designed to put security forces in a no-win position.

Between January and August, security operations had reduced violence in Kenscoff by 66% before Sunday's attack, according to researcher María Fernanda Arocha of the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project. She said gangs have shifted focus to rural areas as police concentrate on central Port-au-Prince.

Haiti's National Police said Paraison ordered an investigation into whether the attack resulted from "complicity or negligence" and dispatched additional units to the area.

Armed men control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people nationwide, and more than 3,050 people were killed between January and June, according to U.N. statistics released Tuesday.