According to Radio Métropole, the armed groups were surprised and dispersed during an operation by police officers the day before, leaving at least eight suspected gang members dead.
A source at the Oméga police station assured the station that law enforcement forces had launched their three-pronged offensive to prevent the gangs from retreating and hiding in the Mariani Hills.
Despite the actions, a climate of tension still prevails in the area, particularly on the main road, where armed groups have set up toll booths to charge drivers.
As a result of the actions, four passengers and a minibus driver were hit by projectiles in the exchange of fire between police and gangs and had to be taken to health centers.
Since early November, Mariani has become a new hotspot of violence as gangs seek to control the area that provides access to Port-au-Prince’s southern entrance.
According to a report by the International Organization for Migration, around 2,500 people were forced to leave their homes to seek refuge with relatives and friends, most of them in Morne à Bateau in the municipality of Gressier.
rgh/ane