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

ByWill Grant, Central America correspondent and Claire Keenan.

Key points

• "We destroyed the house of Lanmò San Jou and the 400 Mawozo gang's headquarters, " he wrote on Tuesday.
• Some 2, 000 Salvadoran soldiers were deployed to Haiti last month after four air force technicians were abducted at gunpoint while food shopping in October.
• The Miami Herald reports that the gang's leader, Wilson "Lanmò San Jou" Joseph, was not there at the time.
• Haiti's National Police drone task force was involved in the attack, backed by Salvadoran soldiers, the Miami Herald reports, citing a number of sources.
• The 400 Mawozo gang is the largest criminal organisation in Haiti, and known for kidnappings, extortion, murders and arms trafficking.

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

In practice, the infamous 400 Mawozo gang. It 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.

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

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

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

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

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

According to A number of media outlets have, as plenty of as 20 residents were killed, nevertheless that has not been confirmed by authorities. There has additionally been no official confirmation of the extent of the damage at the property, with Haitians questioning whether it has been destroyed or just damaged.

In practice, the Miami Herald reports that the gang's leader, Wilson "Lanmò San Jou" Joseph, was not there at the time.

Meanwhile, the BBC has not been able to verify the video posted by Bukele, nor whether the property is indeed the gang's headquarters.

Posting on X after the strikes, Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé thanked the Salvadoran military's commitment "in the fight against gangs", and remarked the two nations would keep working together, along with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), to "regain control of the territory and restore state authority". "THE GANGS WILL GET NO SLEEP!" he continued.

El Salvador's right-wing president has vowed to bring the men home alive and cautioned the gang to release them immediately or face sustained pressure from his military.

For context, the four abducted men were working as part of the GSF, created up of troops from a number of nations, initially led by soldiers from Chad.

President Bukele's move to send thousands of Salvadoran troops to Haiti has triggered concern, with critics saying they are not all working within the command structure of the GSF. It has raised questions regarding the operational legitimacy and legality of their actions in the Caribbean nation.

Amnesty International has pressed both countries to "ensure all operations conducted by Salvadoran forces in Haiti comply with international human rights law".

Such reservations do not appear to phase Bukele, even so. This person continues to directly warn and target the gang leaders.

Meanwhile, the attack on the supposed gang headquarters seemingly came after a user on X had pressed Bukele to attack the complex.

"Where is that house? Offer us the exact address, and we'll destroy it, " he replied to the post. It has now been taken down, apparently for violating X's rules.

For context, the 400 Mawozo gang is the largest criminal organisation in Haiti, and known for kidnappings, extortion, murders and arms trafficking.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas and remains largely under gang control.

At least 5, 700 individuals have been killed or injured there by gangs or during operations against them between 1 January and 11 September this year alone, the United Nations has stated.

El Salvador has recorded massive reductions in gang violence under President Bukele as part of a sweeping crackdown, and he has vowed to do the same in Haiti.

Nevertheless, human rights groups have argued that the way he has done it is unlawful, with the open-ended extension of emergency laws, the treatment of detainees in El Salvador's high-security mega-prison and the mass trials of alleged gang members.

Taken together, the developments around headquarters of Haitian gang destroyed, El Salvador' s president says point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.