Gang coalition attacks farming community near Haiti's capital, killing multiple residents

A gang coalition attacked the farming community of Kenscoff, located in the hills above Port-au-Prince, on Sunday night, setting fire to homes and killing an unknown number of residents, the mayor said.

Mayor Jean Massillon said the raid left many bodies on the streets and that a definitive death toll could not yet be established because of access and communication challenges.

Residents described hearing gunfire before dawn and searching for missing family members. One resident, Robert Jean, said his brother was among those killed.

Local officials blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, a group the United States designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.

"They sowed chaos," Massillon said.

The Office of Citizen Protection reported that dozens of people, including many young Haitians, were killed. National Police director Vladimir Paraison defended the police response, stating that officers remained on the scene.

Port-au-Prince prosecutor Jean Fritz Patterson Dorval noted that eight armored vehicles were present in the area and that further technical details would be addressed by the mayor and police.

The Haitian government condemned the assault as a criminal act, announced that reinforcements were being deployed to Kenscoff and urged the population to remain confident in security forces.

Gang activity is estimated to control about 70% of Port-au-Prince, and the violence has displaced roughly 1.5 million people nationwide. United Nations data show more than 3,100 deaths and 1,189 injuries from gang-related incidents between January and June.

The attack follows the recent deportation by the United States of over 160 individuals, including some with criminal records, to Haiti. The country is preparing for general elections scheduled for Dec. 13, though experts warn that security conditions remain precarious.