At Least 16 Killed in Gang Assault in Haiti's Artibonite

At least 16 people were killed and 10 others injured when armed members of the Gran Grif gang launched a predawn assault on the Jean-Denis neighborhood in Petite-Rivière, a town in Haiti's central Artibonite region, police reported Monday. The attack, which began around 3 a.m. Sunday, involved gunfire and arson that left homes burning and bodies in the streets, according to local authorities.

Local civil protection officials provided a preliminary assessment indicating a slightly higher toll of 17 dead and 19 injured, though the full extent remains uncertain due to limited access to the area. Witnesses and activists described gang members storming the rural communities, setting fire to residences and, in some cases, trapping victims inside. Videos shared on social media captured scenes of charred houses and bullet-riddled remains, underscoring the brutality of the raid. Haitian National Police, assisted by officers from a United Nations-supported multinational security mission led by Kenyan forces, conducted rescues in the neighborhood but faced delays after gangs dug holes in roads and cut off bridges to block entry.

The assault appears linked to ongoing territorial disputes in...