Armed gangs made a brazen attempt to take over Haiti’s primary international airport on Monday, adding to the ongoing chaos and violence that has engulfed the Caribbean nation.
According to an insider from Haitian law enforcement who was present, it is reported that a group of gang members managed to breach the perimeter wall of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The source estimates that there were several dozen gunmen involved in the incident.
According to a source, the attackers engaged in a gunfight with Haitian police and soldiers in their attempt to reach the main buildings of the airport and take control of the facility. However, they were successfully thwarted before they could accomplish their objective.
According to a Haitian police source, a Haitian police officer was wounded and subsequently passed away at a nearby hospital. There were also undisclosed injuries or casualties among the attackers.
During the attack, the airport was closed and no passengers or planes were present. However, the staff members had to hide to ensure their safety. As a result, all U.S. airline flights have been cancelled since Monday, and it will be several more days before planes will be allowed to land at the airport.
On Monday, a Haitian police station near the airport was destroyed, adding to the growing number of stations that gangs have seized or wrecked since February 28th.
Haitian authorities have implemented a 72-hour state of emergency and nighttime curfew in response to recent events. On Sunday evening, gangs launched attacks on the country’s two largest prisons in the Port-au-Prince area, resulting in the escape of thousands of inmates.
The airport is being guarded by a significant deployment of Haitian police and soldiers to maintain government control.
The ongoing violence at the airport has hindered Acting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry from coming back to the country. A Haitian law enforcement source believes that this was a significant reason behind the attack on Monday. Henry had left last week for a visit to Kenya. His purpose was to sign an agreement that would allow the deployment of around 1,000 Kenyan police officers to Haiti. This mission is supported by the United Nations.
According to a source in his office, it remains uncertain when the prime minister will be able to return to Haiti.
The recent surge of violence erupted following Henry’s announcement last week that the general elections in the country would be postponed until August 2025, and he would remain in office to oversee them. Gangs in Port-au-Prince have come together in an unprecedented manner, with the clear objective of ousting Henry from power.
Haiti has been without elections since the unfortunate assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
