Gran Grif Armed Gang Makes Riots In Haiti, 11 People Died

UNSPLASH/Maxim Hopman ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - A total of 11 people were killed and dozens injured in last night's attack on the city of Pont-Sonde in Haiti led by the Gran Grif gang. Thousands of people fled the city seeking refuge.

Haiti's national police said several people were killed and seriously injured in the attack, without specifying the number of victims. Agents from the UTAG anti-geng tactical unit were sent to the region to control security.

The police were officially instructed to restore order and prevent all parties spreading terror in Artibonite from causing harm, Haiti's Ministry of Justice said in a statement reported by Reuters on Friday, October 4.

"This crime will not escape punishment," he said.

People who are members of a gang led by Luckson Elan, 36, who were sanctioned by the United Nations last month, set fire to buildings and executed people on the streets, local media reports Le Nouvelliste said.

The city of Pont-Sonde is located in Haiti's food barn Artibonite and built around a bridge at a crossroads that connects the capital city with the northern region.

Meanwhile, the number of internally displaced persons due to the conflict has surged past 700.000 people, nearly doubling in six months despite the deployment of part of the UN-backed mission mandated to help police who lack resources restore order.

Neighboring the Dominican Republic said on Wednesday it would increase migrant deportation by up to 10,000 per week, citing the slow and limited progress of security missions, which the Haitian government first requested in 2022.