By Staff, Agencies

El Salvador has deployed special forces to Haiti to help rescue four military aviation technicians kidnapped by armed gangs, as President Nayib Bukele dismissed warnings about the risks of the mission and vowed that his forces would prevail.

Approximately 200 Salvadoran soldiers arrived in Port-au-Prince on Thursday and Friday to support the search operation, according to media reports citing security sources.

The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force [GSF] confirmed that a Salvadoran contingent arrived Thursday to assist ongoing search and security operations in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac area outside the Haitian capital.

The troops are working alongside the Haitian National Police and other security partners. The GSF urged residents of Santo and neighboring communities to stay away from areas where security operations are taking place.

The four Salvadoran aviation technicians went missing on Sunday after armed assailants ambushed their armored vehicle in Santo, within the Croix-des-Bouquets commune near Port-au-Prince.

The attackers reportedly opened fire and used explosives, setting the vehicle ablaze. Although the technicians managed to escape the burning vehicle, their whereabouts have remained unknown.

Haitian authorities have confirmed that the men were abducted, but their condition and location have yet to be established.

Bukele announced a military rescue mission on Wednesday, demanding that the four personnel be released alive and unharmed. He also warned of a stronger response if the captives were harmed.

The Salvadoran president emphasized that the missing personnel were noncombatant aviation technicians whose primary responsibilities included conducting medical evacuations.

His warning prompted a response from Wilson Joseph, also known as Lanmo San Jou, the leader of the Haitian gang 400 Mawozo, which operates in the area and is affiliated with the Viv Ansanm gang coalition.

In a video circulated on social media, Joseph displayed large quantities of ammunition and challenged Bukele, declaring that he would not flee and was prepared to confront Salvadoran forces.

No armed group has publicly claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

On Friday, Bukele rejected warnings that Haiti's heavily armed gangs would present a greater challenge than the criminal organizations his government has confronted in El Salvador.

“But when God grants us victory, those who say all these things today will change their tune,” he wrote on X.

Bukele also described Haitian gangs as “satanic” and accused them of carrying out human sacrifices, although he provided no evidence to support the allegations.

The Salvadoran deployment comes as clashes intensify between armed gangs and the international security force authorized by the UN Security Council to support Haitian police in restoring order.

Haiti has endured years of escalating gang violence, with armed groups controlling large parts of Port-au-Prince and extending their influence into surrounding areas.

The violence has displaced nearly 1.5 million people, according to UN estimates, further worsening the country's already severe humanitarian crisis.

The rescue mission now places Salvadoran forces in a volatile security environment as authorities seek to locate the missing technicians and secure their release.