Haitian security forces launch coordinated attack on stronghold of gang leader
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – Haitian authorities say they are making progress in recapturing the capital, Port- Au- Prince, from criminal gangs and that in the latest operation by the security forces, the stronghold of Jimmy Chérisier, alias ‘Barbecue,’ the leader of the Viv Ansanm terrorist group, was attacked.
The spokesman for the Haitian National Police (PNH), Frantz Lerebours, said that the police operation also involved several special units carrying out the exercise, killing at least six gang members. He said several others were injured but managed to escape.
The police said that the operation resulted in the seizure of a significant cache of weapons and ammunition as well as five drones.
In addition, the police said that the uniforms of the members of a specialised unit known as UDMO, bearing the rank insignia of police inspector, were recovered, along with several bulletproof vests, tear gas grenades, and a plastic bag containing a small quantity of cash.
Meanwhile, the country’s Justice and Public Security Minister, Patrick Pélissier, stated that the recapture of the capital is already underway.
“The support of private companies (mercenaries) has made the offensives of law enforcement more effective. After the airport intersection, Delmas 19, and Nazon, the Haitian National Police are now clearing Magloire Ambroise Street. A large part of the administrative centre of Port-au-Prince has gone from a red zone to an orange zone, and this will not stop there because we are now operating in the strongholds of the bandits,” he added.
Criminal gangs have been seeking to overthrow the provisional government in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries ever since the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
The UN has said thousands of people have been killed, raped or forced out of their homes as the gangs carry out their activities and seize a large portion of the capital.
The Presidential Transitional Council (CPT) is continuing its national dialogue with various stakeholders aimed at ensuring institutional stability after February 7, 2026, when the government’s mandate ends.
