Multinational force in Haiti receives suspected remains of 4 missing Salvadoran troops

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) operating in Haiti said on Sunday that it received human remains suspected of belonging to four Salvadoran personnel missing since an ambush earlier this month.

The multinational mission obtained the remains via a third-party humanitarian organization following the Oct. 18 attack in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, northeast of Port-au-Prince. Officials emphasized that forensic examination remains unconfirmed, leaving the identities of the deceased officially unverified.

"On behalf of the entire personnel of the GSF, our thoughts are with the families of four missing personnel," said Jack Christofides, special representative of the force, extending condolences to the government and people of El Salvador.

The GSF also clarified that a military identification card circulating on social media belongs to an accounted-for Chadian soldier who misplaced the document during search efforts, noting that the soldier is accounted for, present with his unit, and is not among the missing.

Heavily armed criminal groups control extensive sections of Port-au-Prince and outlying regions, displacing approximately 1.5 million people.

A UN-backed Gang Suppression Force continues operations across the country to curb the violence and establish security conditions.

The country remains without any nationally elected officials, having held no general vote since 2016. Haiti was plunged into a deeper political vacuum following the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, while legislative terms progressively expired. General elections that were scheduled to take place on Dec. 13 were postponed indefinitely earlier this month.

Muhammed Yasin Güngör