At least eight children were killed and six others seriously injured in a slum in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, by explosive drones targeting a suspected gang leader, according to relatives and activists. The incident occurred in Cité Soleil, controlled by Viv Ansanm, a powerful gang coalition designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. One of the coalition’s leaders, Jimmy Chérizier, also known as Barbecue, vowed retaliation for the attack that resulted in the deaths of at least 13 individuals.
Claudia Bobrun, 30, tearfully shared a video of her eight-year-old daughter in a pool of blood, one of the victims of the explosions. Michelin Florville, 60, lost two grandchildren, aged 3 and 7, and his 32-year-old son in the attack. The explosions caused chaos as people scrambled to safety, with eyewitnesses recounting the harrowing events.
Nanouse Mertelia, 37, described finding her son severely injured after an explosion, with his limbs severed. Despite her efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries. The National Human Rights Defense Network accused the police of deploying exploding drones during an event where suspected gang leader Albert Steevenson, known as Djouma, was distributing gifts to children.
The attack, which also claimed the lives of three civilians and injured seven gunmen, has raised concerns about accountability and the use of drones in Haiti. The incident comes amidst a backdrop of escalating gang violence in the country, prompting calls for international intervention to restore security and combat the gangs plaguing the nation.