Bukele sends troops to rescue four Salvadorans held in Haiti

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele said he had launched a military operation to recover four Salvadoran air force personnel missing in Haiti since Sunday, after they were ambushed in Croix-des-Bouquets, an area controlled by armed groups. The four were serving with a UN-approved mission.

What happened to the four Salvadoran air force personnel?

The Armed Forces of El Salvador said the group was ambushed while travelling back to its camp in an armoured vehicle that caught fire after being hit by explosives. Bukele said the four were kidnapped “in a cowardly manner” as they returned from buying food at a market. No gang has claimed responsibility for the attack. Salvadoran helicopters were deployed to help, but the armed forces said multiple attempts to approach by land and air were hampered by fighting and local security conditions.

What did Nayib Bukele say about the hostages?

Bukele described Wednesday’s attack as “nothing” compared with what would follow if the four were not returned alive. He said the captives were not combatants and that the Salvadoran contingent consisted of pilots and technical personnel whose main job was to “carry out medical evacuations and save lives, not to wage war”. He added that if all four came back alive and unharmed, “everything will go back to how it was before the kidnapping”.

What is the Gang Suppression Force?

The four were part of the Gang Suppression Force, a mission approved by the UN Security Council earlier in October 2026 to tackle escalating gang violence in Haiti. Before Bukele announced the rescue operation, the force said it was searching for the missing personnel after the attack and had “engaged armed gang elements, with helicopter support”; early reports indicated that several gang members were killed.

How severe is Haiti’s gang violence?

More than 5,500 people were killed in gang-related violence in Haiti in 2024, and armed gangs control about 85% of Port-au-Prince, the capital. The UN warned earlier this week that Haiti’s armed gangs were adapting to intensified security conditions, saying they were “stepping up reprisals against civilians and extending their reach into rural areas”. Haiti has not held elections since 2016 and has postponed presidential and legislative elections scheduled for 13 December indefinitely. The country has been wracked by economic chaos, a political vacuum and increasingly violent gang warfare since its president was assassinated in 2021.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the four Salvadorans missing in Haiti?

They are members of El Salvador’s air force serving with the UN-approved Gang Suppression Force. President Nayib Bukele said they were pilots and technical personnel whose work was medical evacuation rather than combat.

Has any group claimed responsibility for the ambush?

No gang has claimed responsibility for the attack in Croix-des-Bouquets, according to the reporting. The Gang Suppression Force said it had engaged armed gang elements with helicopter support and that early reports indicated several gang members were killed.

Why is El Salvador’s military deployed in Haiti?

The Salvadoran personnel were part of the Gang Suppression Force, approved by the UN Security Council earlier in October 2026 to address escalating gang violence in Haiti.

When will Haiti hold elections?

Haiti has not held elections since 2016, and presidential and legislative elections scheduled for 13 December have been postponed indefinitely.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)