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Gran Grif Gang Kills At Least 70 in Pont-Sondé, Haiti; UN Calls for International Assistance

Oct 4, 2024, 04:20 PM

A heavily armed gang known as Gran Grif attacked the town of Pont-Sondé in the Artibonite Valley of central Haiti early Thursday, killing at least 70 people, including women, a young mother and her newborn baby, and three infants, and injuring more than 50 others, according to reports from the United Nations and local officials. The assault saw gang members with automatic rifles open fire on residents, torching homes and vehicles in this key agricultural region, and forcing thousands to flee. The Gran Grif gang was formed nearly a decade ago after a Haitian legislator started arming young men to secure his election. The UN has called for increased international assistance to the Multinational Security Support Mission and a prompt investigation into the massacre. The Haitian government has deployed specialist anti-gang police units in response to the attack.