LIVE UPDATES
Over 70 people including children have been killed after an armed gang attacked a small town in Haiti, leaving about 16 people seriously injured on Saturday, according to the United nations report.
The group, Gran Grig gang member , according to the United Nations, rampaged through Pont-Sondé in the central Artibonite region about 71km (44 miles) north-west of the capital Port-au-Prince.
Reuters Video footage shows groups of people fleeing the violence on motorbikes and on foot.
However, Government prosecutor has described the attack as “a massacre.”
Armed gangs have taken control of large parts of Haiti and a UN-backed policing mission, led by officers from Kenya, which began in June in an attempt to wrest back control.
Gang members reportedly “set fire to at least 45 houses and 34 vehicles”,the UN has said.
Gran Grif is said to be one of the most violent of Haiti’s gangs.
In January 2023 its members were accused of attacking a police station near Pont-Sondé and killing six officers.
The group is also fingered for forcing the closure of a hospital serving more than 700,000 people.
The gang has about 100 members and has been accused of crimes including murder, rape, robberies and kidnappings, according to UN reports, Both its founder and current leader are subject to US sanctions.
Prime Minister, Garry Conille, has vowed to crack down on the gangs, with the UN saying a “robust use of force”is needed.
