Haiti gang retaliation leaves at least 11 dead after security operation

At least 11 people were killed on Monday in Haiti's central Artibonite region by gang members after a deadly security operation, the local mayor said.

The attack is the latest reprisal against residents in areas contested by armed groups, particularly in the farming heartland of Artibonite.

Earlier in the day, a Sri Lankan unit of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, a multinational mission meant to tackle rampant violence, pushed back gang members who set up illegal toll points, Mayor Hubert Ceneac told Radio Kiskeya.

The operation left three gang members dead, the force said in a statement.

The mayor said the UN-backed force only stayed in the area for a few hours, before returning to the town of Gonaives where they are based.

"The bandits in retaliation attacked...they killed and burned homes," Ceneac said, adding that between 11 and 12 people had been killed.

Rosy Ducena, who heads the National Human Rights Defense Network, said the total death toll and damages were not yet clear.

"However, we have already received a report of a single family that lost several members," she added.

Ceneac said the area was a stronghold of the Kokorat San Ras gang. Haiti's security crisis has worsened beyond the capital Port-au-Prince as gangs have expanded their reach.

The Gang Suppression Force's mandate is set to expire this week if not extended by the UN Security Council. The matter is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday morning.