At least a dozen gang members drown near Haiti while ferrying ammunition: Official

Gangs successful Haiti person opened occurrence and deed a U.N. helicopter, forcing it to onshore successful Port-au-Prince successful nan latest onslaught successful nan country's superior arsenic unit surges erstwhile again

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Gangs connected Thursday opened occurrence and deed a U.N. helicopter, forcing it to onshore successful Port-au-Prince successful nan latest onslaught successful Haiti's superior arsenic unit surges erstwhile again.

No 1 was injured arsenic respective rounds of gunfire deed nan chopper that was carrying 3 unit members and 15 passengers, according to a U.N. root who was not authorized to corroborate nan incident. The helicopter, which had departed from Port-au-Prince earlier it was attacked, landed safely, nan root said.

The onslaught comes 5 months aft Haiti's main world airdrome reopened pursuing coordinated pack attacks that forced it to adjacent for astir 3 months.

The unit has spilled to adjacent areas including Arcahaie, wherever immoderate 50 suspected pack members died this week aft attacking nan coastal municipality located conscionable northwest of nan capital. Among nan dormant are astatine slightest a twelve gunmen who drowned aft their vessel capsized, a authorities charismatic said Thursday.

While nan mostly were killed by police, a group of gunmen drowned connected Wednesday aft their vessel deed nan reef arsenic they ferried ammunition to gangs attacking nan municipality of Arcahaie, said Wilner Réné from Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency.

He told Radio Caraïbes that nan onslaught began connected Monday, pinch gunmen burning homes and cars crossed Arcahaie.

When nan gangs ran retired of ammunition, they hid successful adjacent areas and were ferreted retired by residents and police, he said.

The onslaught is still ongoing, and Réné warned that officers connected nan segment urgently request reinforcements from soldiers and typical constabulary units.

The onslaught is blamed connected a pack conjugation called Viv Ansanm, which besides has targeted communities successful Port-au-Prince successful caller days. Those attacks person displaced much than 10,000 group successful nan superior successful conscionable 1 week, according to a study released Thursday by nan U.N.'s International Organization for Migration. More than half of those near bum crowded into 14 makeshift shelters, including schools. The remainder are temporarily staying pinch relatives.

The spike successful pack unit comes conscionable months aft a U.N.-backed ngo led by Kenyan constabulary began pinch nan purpose of quelling a surge successful unit from gangs, who power much than 80% of Port-au-Prince. More than 700,000 group person been near homeless, and thousands person been killed.

The U.S. authorities and apical Haitian officials person warned that nan Kenyan-led ngo lacks unit and backing and person asked that it beryllium replaced with a U.N.-peacekeeping mission.

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico

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