Bukele rejects identification of bodies
President Nayib Bukele said bodies handed over to troops in Haiti were not those of the four missing Salvadoran military technicians. The BBC reported his statement. The men’s location and condition have not been confirmed.
Additional troops reportedly deployed
Hungarian Conservative, citing The Wall Street Journal, said El Salvador sent about 200 special forces personnel to Haiti in two contingents of roughly 100. They were reported to be assisting the search alongside the Haitian National Police and the Gang Suppression Force, an international mission authorized by the UN.
The report also said Bukele’s government was pursuing negotiations for the men’s release. Although the additional forces were linked to the search, the account did not confirm that troops had launched a distinct mission to retrieve the technicians.
Technicians vanished after attack
The four technicians went missing in Croix-des-Bouquets, northeast of Port-au-Prince, following an attack on Sunday, 18 October. Hungarian Conservative reported that gunmen shot at their armoured vehicle and tried to destroy it as the men returned from purchasing food. They got out of the burning vehicle but then disappeared in territory held by gangs.
According to the same report, officials from El Salvador and the United States believe the technicians survived the attack. Haiti’s government has identified finding the four men as a top priority, but their whereabouts remain unknown.