Gang attack on armored vehicle in Haiti leaves 2 police officers injured, driver dead

Authorities in Haiti say that two police officers have been injured and one driver killed after their armored vehicle came under attack in a community near Haiti’s capital

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Gunmen attacked an armored vehicle in a community near Haiti's capital, leaving two police officers injured and one driver dead, authorities said Monday.

The attack occurred over the weekend in the once peaceful farming community of Kenscoff, which heavily armed gangs have repeatedly raided in recent months.

Police said in a statement that gunmen threw Molotov cocktails into the armored vehicle, which then overturned into a ravine.

Haitian police have been battling gangs alongside Kenyan police leading a U.N.-backed mission that began more than a year ago.

The attack comes days after gangs razed a small fishing town north of Port-au-Prince, killing at least 40 people, including women and children, according to local officials.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned that attack on Saturday, saying that he was “alarmed by the levels of violence rocking Haiti” as he urged Haitian authorities “to ensure that perpetrators of these and all other human rights abuses and violations are brought to justice.”

He also called on the international community to help the struggling multinational force with the logistics, personnel and funding it requires.

On Monday, Haiti’s government announced that it had coordinated an urgent meeting with high-ranking police officials and ordered the deployment of specialized units to towns including Labodri, Arcahaïe and Cabaret following the massacre.

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