In a harrowing four-day ordeal, gang members have unleashed a relentless attack on the Solino community in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
This besieged neighborhood, known to house a significant number of police officers, is gripped by fear as the violence threatens to engulf the entire city.
It was not immediately clear who organised and was participating in the attack on Solino.
Rising tensions explode
According to reports, the grim sounds of automatic weapons reverberated through the streets of Solino on Thursday, creating an atmosphere of dread and despair.
Thick columns of black smoke rose above what was once a peaceful neighbourhood, now reduced to ruins, with frantic residents making desperate calls to radio stations in search of assistance.
Terrified residents seek safety
Reports have shared the experience of a 52-year-old street vendor, who sought refuge with her teenage nephew.
She shared a terrifying account of her ordeal that she was trapped in her own home for hours, and recalls the relentless barrage of gunfire that held her hostage.
The houses surrounding hers have fallen victim to gang-inflicted arson, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. Amid the chaos, she recounts the grim sight of at least six lifeless bodies, a grim reminder of the horrors faced by Solino’s residents.
Those behind the attack
The identity of the orchestrators and participants of this alarming attack is yet to be uncovered.
Haiti has been grappling with the scourge of gang violence for decades, but the situation reached new heights of brutality following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
Gangs have taken control of significant portions of the country, inflicting terror on its residents and causing a devastating loss of life.
