Haiti Police Station Reclaimed Amid Gangs' Violent Assaults

Authorities regained control of a police station in Gressier, Haiti, which had been attacked by armed gangs. The assault, which included burning houses and shooting civilians, caused widespread panic. This comes after the arrival of Kenyan police officers in Haiti to combat criminal gangs.

Authorities have regained control of a police station in Gressier, a district on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. This station had recently been the target of violent attacks by armed gangs. According to Lionel Lazarre, a spokesperson for the police union, the assault on Sunday resulted in an unspecified number of civilian casualties and widespread panic as houses were set ablaze.

In one tragic incident, a bus driver was attacked and shot while on duty. The recent violence follows the arrival of hundreds of Kenyan police officers in Haiti, tasked with assisting local forces in curbing the activities of heavily armed criminal gangs. Social media footage depicted armed men storming the station, shouting anti-government and anti-Kenyan police slogans, and setting the area alight.

Gressier has seen similar violence in the past, notably in May, when armed gangs temporarily seized control of the same police station amid calls for the dismissal and arrest of the police chief. Since late February, gangs have executed coordinated assaults on more than two dozen police stations in Port-au-Prince, focusing on key state infrastructure and spreading fear throughout the community.

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