Bukele says military operation launched to rescue Salvadorans held in Haiti : NPR

Key Points:

• El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele announced a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran aviation technicians kidnapped by gangs in Haiti after an armored vehicle was attacked in Croix-des-Bouquets, Port-au-Prince.
• Bukele warned Haitian gang leaders to release the hostages alive and unharmed, threatening a stronger military response if they are not freed, emphasizing that the Salvadoran mission in Haiti is focused on medical evacuations, not combat.
• Haiti's government declared the technicians' release an "absolute priority" and held a meeting to enhance operations with the Gang Repression Force, though it remains unclear if the hostages are alive or the specifics of further security actions.
• The attack highlights the significant control gangs have over parts of Port-au-Prince, with the multinational U.N.-backed gang suppression force, including troops from El Salvador and other countries, actively engaged in combating gang violence.
• Gang violence in Haiti has caused massive displacement and casualties, with the U.N. Security Council extending the multinational force's mandate through March 2027 to address ongoing instability and insecurity.