A gang attack on Kenscoff, a farming community nestled in the hills above Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, has left at least 47 people dead and more than 50 others kidnapped, the United Nations has confirmed. At least five of those killed were children, and the assault — which took place late on Sunday — is believed to represent one of the largest mass kidnappings Haiti has seen in recent years. Armed men raided the area, setting fire to at least 25 homes and killing residents before dawn, with survivors describing chaotic scenes as families fled through the dark with little warning.

A gang leader identifying himself as Izo 2 — a reference to Johnson André, known as Izo, one of Haiti's most powerful gang figures — has since posted a video on social media threatening to kill the hostages if authorities harm any gang members during efforts to secure the area. He warned Haiti's national police director, Vladimir Paraison, specifically not to deploy drones against gang forces. Analysts say Izo 2, also known as Didi, operates as a kind of franchise cell leader coordinating with Izo and other senior figures in Viv Ansanm, a broad gang coalition that the United States has designated a foreign terrorist organisation. Kenscoff's mayor, Jean Massillon, confirmed the coalition was behind the attack and said victims included two government employees, among them his own cousin, who served as part of his security detail.

The attack has deepened questions about the state of security across Haiti. Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, described it as