Salvadoran troops land in Haiti aboard Pentagon plane amid crisis over ambushed soldiers

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1. 2h ago

   Salvadoran troops land in Haiti aboard Pentagon plane amid crisis

   El Salvador has deployed over 450 troops to Haiti, including 350 military personnel who arrived on four flights on Friday, and 100 special forces troops who arrived on Thursday, in response to the ambush of four Salvadoran soldiers by Haitian gangs. The deployment was made at the request of the Haitian government and with support from the US military, which provided a C-130 transport plane. The four missing soldiers were ambushed on October 18 in a gang-controlled territory east of Port-au-Prince.

   Why it matters

   The deployment of Salvadoran troops to Haiti is part of a UN-backed effort to combat gang violence in the Caribbean nation. The ambush of the four Salvadoran soldiers has escalated tensions between El Salvador and Haitian gangs, with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele threatening to take action against those responsible. The situation in Haiti has been deteriorating due to ongoing gang violence and instability.

   What is confirmed

   • Four planeloads of soldiers from El Salvador landed in Haiti on Friday.
   • One of the aircraft carrying the Salvadoran troops was a U.S. military plane.
   • El Salvador sent 100 special forces troops to Haiti on Thursday to search for the missing soldiers.
   • The four missing soldiers were ambushed on October 18 in a gang-controlled territory east of Port-au-Prince.
   • El Salvador's president threatened Haitian gangs over the ambush of the four missing soldiers.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Over 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers will be sent to Haiti.

   What to watch next

   • The search and rescue operation for the four missing Salvadoran soldiers
   • The response of Haitian gangs to the deployment of Salvadoran troops
   • The impact of the deployment on the security situation in Haiti
   Sources used for this update (17)

   1. BBC — El Salvador's president threatens Haitian gangs over military hostages
   2. WSJ — El Salvador Attempts Rescue of Military Personnel After Gang Ambush in Haiti
   3. The New York Times — Ambush of Salvadoran Soldiers Escalates Haiti’s Anti-Gang Mission
   4. CNN — El Salvador sends troops to Haiti to rescue four service members
   5. The Washington Post — El Salvador sends special forces to search for troops missing in Haiti
   6. Miami Herald — U.S., El Salvador flights land in Haiti after arrival of Salvadoran special forces
   7. The Haitian Times — El Salvador sends special forces to Haiti to find 4 missing soldiers
   8. The New York Times — 4 Bodies Found in Haiti Believed to Be Those of Missing Salvadoran Soldiers
   9. www.spokesman.com — Salvadoran troops land in Haiti aboard Pentagon plane amid crisis over ambushed soldiers
   10. www.arcamax.com — Salvadoran troops land in Haiti aboard Pentagon plane amid crisis over ambushed soldiers | News & Features | ArcaMax Publishing
   11. kdhnews.com — Salvadoran troops land in Haiti aboard Pentagon plane amid crisis over ambushed soldiers
   12. www.jamaicaobserver.com — El Salvador sends troops to Haiti to find 4 missing soldiers
   confidence 92%