At least 70 people were killed and 30 others injured in a brutal armed gang attack in Haiti’s Artibonite region on Sunday, according to human rights organisations.
The attack has been described as one of the worst in recent times in the violence-plagued region.
Initial police reports put the death toll at 16 with 10 injured, while civil protection officials later revised the figures to 17 dead and 19 wounded.
However, the Collective for the Defence of Human Rights put the toll much higher at 70 killed and 30 injured. The massacre has forced more than 6,000 residents to flee their homes.
In a strongly worded statement, the rights group criticised the lack of timely security response, saying it showed “a clear neglect of responsibility” by the authorities to protect civilians in the Artibonite region.
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack during a media briefing, noting that reported death toll estimates varied widely, ranging from 10 to 80 victims.
The assault was carried out by members of the Gran Grif gang in the Jean-Denis area at around 3 am on Sunday.
Artibonite has witnessed some of the worst gang-related violence in recent times as gang activity has spread far beyond the capital, Port-au-Prince.
In March, the United States offered a reward of up to $3 million for information on the financial operations of the Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm groups, both of which have been designated as terrorist organisations by Washington.
Gang violence across Haiti has displaced more than one million people, severely worsened food security, and caused nearly 20,000 deaths in recent years.
Also read: UNICEF warns against rise in child hiring by Haiti armed groups
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