Armed gang members killed at least 70 people and wounded 30 others during a weekend attack in Haiti's Artibonite region, according to a local human rights organization — a death toll more than four times higher than initial government estimates.
The assault began early Sunday morning in rural communities around Jean-Denis, near Petite-Rivière, and continued for roughly 24 hours. Gang members stormed villages, set homes ablaze, and forced an estimated 6,000 residents to flee their communities.
Police initially reported 16 deaths and 10 injuries, while civil protection authorities counted 17 dead and 19 wounded. The Défenseurs Plus rights group, working with the Collective to Save the Artibonite, provided the significantly higher casualty figures that align with United Nations estimates ranging from 10 to 80 killed.
The lack of a security response and the abandonment of Artibonite to armed groups demonstrate a complete abdication of responsibility by the authorities
Défenseurs Plus — joint statement
An audio message circulating on social media, attributed to Gran Grif gang leader Luckson Elan, suggested the attack was retaliation for assaults on the group's base in Savien by a rival armed faction. The Gran Grif gang has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States, which offered a $3 million reward for information about the group's financial activities.
Al Jazeera emphasizes the discrepancy between official casualty figures and rights group estimates, highlighting government failures. The outlet provides detailed context about gang territorial disputes and the broader security crisis affecting Haiti's agricultural regions.
Daily Sabah focuses on the factual details of the attack while noting US counter-terrorism efforts against Haitian gangs. The outlet presents the violence within the broader context of international intervention attempts and ongoing displacement crisis.
CBC emphasizes the humanitarian impact and displacement figures while providing context about the spread of violence beyond Port-au-Prince. The outlet highlights the gap between official estimates and rights group findings without taking sides.
Haiti's National Police deployed three armored vehicles to respond, but gang members had dug holes in roads to slow the security forces' advance. By the time police arrived, the attackers were fleeing and dozens of houses had already been burned. Officers transported the wounded to local hospitals and the dead to two morgues.
The Artibonite department serves as Haiti's agricultural breadbasket, producing much of the country's food supply. The region has experienced some of the nation's worst violence as gang warfare spreads beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince, despite international efforts to restore order.
More than 2,000 people had already fled their homes in recent days following armed raids in nearby Verrettes, according to United Nations estimates. The latest displacement adds to a humanitarian crisis that has forced over one million Haitians from their communities since gang violence escalated.
International forces, including a UN-backed mission and support from a US private military company, have helped Haitian security forces regain control of much of Port-au-Prince. However, hundreds of gangs remain active across the country, and authorities have yet to arrest any major gang leaders.
The violence has claimed nearly 20,000 lives since 2021, with the death toll rising each year as increasingly powerful and independent armed groups clash with security forces and local vigilante organizations. The conflict has also exacerbated food insecurity in a nation where millions already struggle with hunger.