A United Nations helicopter was hit by several rounds of gunfire while flying over Haiti on Thursday, forcing the chopper to land in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
U.N. officials declined to comment on the incident on the record. A U.N. source anonymously told the Associated Press (AP) that no one was injured by the attack, which was one of the more brazen assaults launched against international observers and peacekeepers by the gangs running amok in Haiti.
The AP’s source said the helicopter was carrying three crew and 15 passengers at the time of the attack.
Another source provided CNN with photos showing “at least eight bullet holes on the helicopter’s fuselage, and what appears to be its rotor system.” These photos showed the helicopter was clearly marked as a U.N. aircraft, specifically belonging to the World Food Program (WFP).
“Humanitarian air transport is essential to delivering a response across Haiti,” the WFP said in a statement. Air transport is necessary, in part, because gang attacks have made Haiti’s roads so dangerous.
The WFP canceled its planned helicopter flights for Friday and a source told CNN that U.S. airlines are considering halting flights to Port-au-Prince again, as they did for three months after a surge of gang violence in March.
Two armored vehicles belonging to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti were attacked on Tuesday by gunmen belonging to the 400 Mawozo and Chen Mechan gangs. As with the helicopter incident, no injuries were reported from the attack.
“The United States maintains its strong condemnation against ongoing gang violence aimed at destabilizing Haiti’s government and jeopardizing a future of peace and security for the Haitian people,” the State Department said when confirming the attack.
The Miami Herald quoted a source who said one of the vehicles targeted by the gangsters belonged to the U.S. chief of mission in Haiti. This armored car was not hit by any of the gunfire, but the other one was struck by several rounds, shattering its back glass.
The Miami Herald noted that gang boss Jimmy “The Barbecue” Cherizier has mentioned the U.S. Embassy in weird and threatening ways in some of his recent social media videos. In one of those videos, he claimed he was invited to a meeting at the embassy and was offered a U.S. visa. The State Department denied both of those claims.
CBS News reported on Thursday that twenty members of the U.S. embassy attack were evacuated following the car attack in Port-au-Prince.
