Haiti’s government said Thursday that rescuing four Salvadoran soldiers kidnapped by armed gangs last Sunday on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince is its absolute priority.

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The office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement that the government is fully mobilized and intends to assert state authority with the greatest firmness against armed groups. It called the soldiers’ release an absolute priority and said all necessary resources are being mobilized to achieve that goal.

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The prime minister met with competent authorities to assess the situation comprehensively and to determine, in close collaboration with the Salvadoran Gang Suppression Force (GSF), measures to reinforce ongoing operations against the armed gangs that attacked the vehicle carrying the Salvadorans.

Haitian security forces and the GSF have conducted an intense search since Sunday for the four Salvadoran aviation technicians, with whom contact was lost after the ambush in the Santo area of the Croix-des-Bouquets commune, within the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

#Haiti | The UN Security Council reaffirms its commitment to the Gang Suppression Force despite armed attacks and the kidnapping of four Salvadoran personnel. Rescue efforts continue as international forces maintain their security mission.#UnitedNations #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/kKX5oDtQ0i

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 23, 2026

In its first official statement on the attack, the Prime Minister’s Office said that given the seriousness of the act, the State reaffirms its authority and determination, and that security forces are continuing operations firmly to secure the soldiers’ release and protect human life.

The GSF reported Tuesday that several members of the gangs controlling most of Port-au-Prince were killed and others wounded in clashes with forces searching for the Salvadoran military personnel. The GSF also reported that four of its own personnel were wounded during the operation and received medical care.