Four Salvadoran Troops Missing in Haiti After Gang Attack

Four Salvadoran members of a United Nations-backed force in Haiti are missing after gang members attacked their armored vehicle, and El Salvador says the gangs are holding them hostage.

The attack took place on Sunday afternoon in the Santo area of Croix-des-Bouquets, a part of Haiti that is controlled by gangs. According to The New York Times, the four were driving back to their base from a supermarket when they were ambushed.

The attackers struck the vehicle with explosives, setting it on fire, according to Reuters. The four men are members of the Salvadoran air force. Reports from the Miami Herald describe them as aviation technicians, meaning people who maintain aircraft.

After leaping from the burning vehicle, the four went missing. El Salvador's government said gangs in Haiti are holding four members of the force hostage, a term for people held against their will until demands are met. Reuters reported the statement. The government has not, in the reporting available, described any demands.

El Salvador has sent 100 special forces soldiers to Haiti to help find and recover the missing men, according to U.S. News.

The four are part of the Gang Suppression Force, a multinational mission backed by the United Nations and sent to help stop gang violence in Haiti. Gangs have long held large parts of the country, and the force's members have been operating in that environment. The attack has put the mission's personnel at risk, and the search for the four men is ongoing.