At least eleven civilians have lost their lives this Monday in the Haitian locality of Crépin, belonging to the municipality of Gros-Morne, in the Artibonite department, during a serious episode of violence that occurred while a patrol of the Gang Suppression Force (GSF, for its acronym in English) was operating in the area, according to various local media reports.
The broadcaster Radio Télé Métronome has explained that several armed men opened fire on the population, hitting numerous people amid the chaos generated by the presence of the security force. This outlet has specified that "a group of armed bandits has killed eleven people this Monday" in Crépin and that the attackers "charged against the civilian population" during the attack.
In parallel, local sources cited by AlterPresse have placed the number of civilians killed after the intervention of the Gang Suppression Force at "around a dozen," although they have insisted that the final number of victims has not yet been verified.
The GSF has disseminated its own version of what occurred through a brief statement on social media, in which it claims that its agents were attacked with firearms while conducting a patrol and that they responded following their operational protocols. According to this account, three armed individuals died in the exchange of gunfire and others managed to flee the scene.
"Subsequent reports indicated that gang members attacked civilians in the area, after the departure of GSF troops. The GSF strongly condemns these attacks and any violence against civilians," the contingent added in its statement, in which it also emphasizes that none of its personnel were killed or injured during the operation.
In this context, the Haitian newspaper 'Le Nouvelliste' has pointed to the Kokorat San Ras gang, a criminal group that operates mainly in rural areas of Haiti, as the alleged responsible for the attack. According to information from this newspaper, three members of this organization were injured by gunfire in the confrontation with the GSF.
This new episode of violence occurs in a scenario of profound deterioration of security in Haiti, where armed gangs have increased their influence taking advantage of the weakness of state institutions. These groups control large areas of the country, including parts of Port-au-Prince and strategic enclaves linked to fuel supply, in a context of sustained expansion of gangs and recurrent attacks against the civilian population.