Headquarters of Haitian gang destroyed, El Salvador's president says

Headquarters of Haitian gang destroyed, El Salvador's president says

The infamous 400 Mawozo gang was targeted by the El Salvador military which has deployed thousands of troops to combat Haiti's gang violence crisis.

The headquarters of one of Haiti's largest crime gangs has been destroyed by El Salvador's military, the Salvadoran president has said.

The infamous 400 Mawozo gang, which is known for kidnappings and intimidation tactics, was targeted in a ground and air attack at a complex on the outskirts of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.

It is El Salvador's first military action on a Haitian target since it deployed more than 2,000 soldiers there last month, as part of a mission to rescue four missing Salvadoran technicians.

Haiti has been plagued by gang violence for years, with heavily armed groups controlling large parts of the capital, and beyond.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced the news on X, external, boasting that most of the gang members fled without trying to fight.

"We destroyed the house of [gang leader] Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters," he wrote on Tuesday.

The post was accompanied by video of several helicopters firing on a large complex, reportedly in the suburb of Croix-des-Bouquets, the gang's stronghold.

As the helicopters circle above, dozens of people can be seen running out of the property, fleeing the strikes.

Several media outlets have reported that as many as 20 people were killed, however that has not been confirmed by authorities.

In brief

The headquarters of one of Haiti's largest crime gangs has been destroyed by El Salvador's military, the Salvadoran president has said. El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced the news on X, external, boasting that most of the gang members fled without trying to fight. "We destroyed the house of [gang leader] Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters," he wrote on Tuesday.

This is the opening of the story, shared with credit to BBC News — World. The rest of the report — with every detail — continues on the publisher’s website.

Continue reading at BBC News — World ↗

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