PORT-AU-PRINCE – Gangs launched a new attack on the Haitian capital on Tuesday, targeting an upscale Port-au-Prince community where gunmen clashed with residents who were fighting alongside police.

The attack on Pétionville was carried out by the Viv Ansanm group, whose leader, former elite police officer Jimmy Chérizier, announced this project in a video published on social networks.

At least 28 suspected gang members were killed and hundreds of munitions seized, according to Lionel Lazarre, deputy spokesperson for the Haitian National Police.

It was not immediately clear whether police had prepared for the attack or tried to preemptively protect Pétionville given that Chérizier, also known as Barbecue, had announced plans to attack Pétionville. tackle. Lazarre did not return a message for comment.

Eyewitnesses told The Associated Press that residents were angered by yet another gang attack on their community. They said some of the suspected gunmen were beheaded or had their feet cut off, while the bodies were piled up and set on fire.

The attack began before dawn when two trucks carrying suspected gang members entered Pétionville. One of the trucks blocked the main entrance to the community.

Chérizier had threatened reprisals against the management and staff of hotels in the area where politicians or “oligarchs” could have taken refuge.

Gunmen also attacked the neighboring community of Canapé Vert and other areas. Local resident Richard Derosier said he heard gunshots and saw a man running around with a large machine gun.

“I asked God, ‘Are you going to let them save my life?’ “, remembers Derosier.

The attack comes days after gang violence forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for the second time this year as the country swore in a new prime minister following political infighting.

On November 11, armed men opened fire on a Spirit Airlines plane as it prepared to land, injuring a flight attendant. The filming prompted the airport to close and several airlines to temporarily cancel their flights to Port-au-Prince.

Gang violence has forced more than 20,000 people to flee Port-au-Prince in recent days, according to the United Nations.

Viv Ansanm is also responsible for a series of coordinated attacks which began in late February and targeted key government infrastructure. Gunmen attacked police stations, opened fire on the main international airport, forcing it to close for almost three months, and attacked Haiti’s two largest prisons, freeing more than 4,000 inmates.

The gangs control 85% of the capital and in recent weeks launched attacks into previously peaceful communities in an attempt to take control of even more territory.

The attacks have intensified since police officers from Kenya, who are leading a U.N.-backed mission to quell violence in Haiti, arrived at the end of June.

The American government pushes for a UN peacekeeping force to replace the Kenyan-led mission as it lacks funds and personnel.