Police retake Téléco base after deadly gang attack in Kenscoff

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitian security forces reclaimed the army’s Téléco base in Kenscoff after a deadly gang attack left one soldier and two security agents dead, officials announced. The weekend operation, which also wounded two soldiers, is part of an escalating battle between law enforcement and gangs vying for control of key areas. The attack highlights the growing reach of armed groups, which continue to challenge Haiti’s already struggling security forces despite reinforcements from the Kenya-led multinational mission.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed in a statement that Petit-homme Charles Benictor, a soldier assigned to guard the telecommunications site, was killed in the attack. The Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP) lost two agents in the assault. Two other soldiers were injured and are receiving medical care.

Officials from the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) confirmed the successful operation to retake the base, which had fallen under gang control.

“The PNH and MSS special team have taken control of Téléco,” MSS spokesperson Jack Ombaka said in a WhatsApp group with journalists. He added that forces would remain stationed in Kenscoff throughout the week to prevent further incursions.

Police face heavy losses as violence escalates

Before the Feb. 15 attack in Kenscoff, gang violence claimed the lives of three police officers in separate incidents.

On Feb. 12, officer Emmanuel Fils Thomas was killed when gangs ambushed the Montrouis police station after security forces took down a gang leader extorting travelers. His colleagues said reinforcements never arrived in time.

On Feb. 14, officers Grégory Pierre Michel and Stanley Denizé fatally shot each other inside a Port-au-Prince club during a dispute over a woman. Michel was assigned to the Port-au-Prince station, while Denizé worked in the General Security Unit of the National Palace.

Civilians caught in the crossfire

As police and gangs clashed, civilians in multiple neighborhoods endured another week of terror.

In Carrefour-Feuilles, gunmen set fire to a church, forcing residents to relive past trauma from previous mass displacements.

“I’m holding on, but I can’t sleep. I’m scared,” said a resident. “The gunfire hasn’t stopped.”

In Port-au-Prince, gangs torched the University Hospital of Haiti on Feb. 13, worsening an already dire healthcare crisis. The Ministry of Health condemned the attack but provided no immediate plan to restore services.

“Destroying a hospital is an attack on human dignity,” Health Minister Signal Bertrand said.

Meanwhile, security forces scrambled to push back gangs attempting to expand into Haut Delmas. Officers engaged in intense firefights at Carrefour Aéroport and Nazon, forcing many residents to flee their homes.

In Delmas 30, gunfire echoed late into the night as police clashed with gangs. At least two suspected gang members were killed, and officers recovered stolen uniforms and a gang-operated radio, PNH spokesperson Lionel Lazarre confirmed.

“The police have regained control of the area,” Lazarre said.

The former Téléco facility was converted into a base for the Haitian army following gang attacks on January 27 in Kenscoff that resulted in at least 150 deaths. Despite authorities’s efforts to use it as a defensive stronghold, gang threats persisted, leading to this latest offensive to regain control.

Government vows continued crackdown

Despite the heavy casualties suffered by security forces, Defense Minister Jean Michel Moïse vowed to intensify operations against gangs.

“The state will not back down from its duty to protect the population and secure the territory,” Moïse said.

The government’s latest attempt to restore operations at the hospital—after previous efforts under former Prime Minister Garry Conille failed—came at a deadly cost. Two journalists were killed, and at least seven others suffered severe injuries.

Security reinforcements remain stationed at the Téléco base, but with gangs growing bolder, residents fear more deadly confrontations are ahead.

The post Police retake Téléco base after deadly gang attack in Kenscoff appeared first on The Haitian Times.

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Police retake Téléco base after deadly gang attack in Kenscoff was first posted on February 17, 2025 at 5:59 pm.