At Least 47 Killed in Gang Attack on Kenscoff, Haiti

Dragon Media News Desk

At least 47 people were killed and 22 others injured in an armed gang attack on Kenscoff, near Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.

According to the latest figures released by the United Nations, armed groups launched attacks on several communities in Kenscoff beginning Sunday night, setting homes on fire and opening fire on residents. Initial reports placed the death toll at between 30 and 40, but the number later rose.

Local authorities said members of the armed coalition Viv Ansanm were involved in the attack. The assailants reportedly targeted residential areas, a church and several private properties.

Kenscoff is located in the hills overlooking the capital and holds strategic importance because of its access to routes leading toward Pétion-Ville and roads connecting Port-au-Prince with southern Haiti. Pétion-Ville hosts several foreign embassies, hotels and temporary government facilities.

The Haitian government condemned the attack and said additional security personnel had been deployed to the area. It pledged not to allow Kenscoff to fall under gang control and vowed to restore state authority.

Haiti’s security crisis has intensified since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, which created a political vacuum and allowed armed gangs to significantly expand their influence across the capital and surrounding areas. According to the United Nations, gang violence has displaced around 1.5 million people.

Kenscoff has faced repeated attacks in recent years. Since early 2025, a series of violent incidents in and around the area has killed hundreds of people and damaged numerous homes.

The latest attack is also likely to deepen security concerns ahead of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for December 13, 2026. Haiti is preparing to hold national elections for the first time in a decade, but election authorities have warned that voting will require acceptable security conditions and sufficient financial resources.

With armed gangs continuing to control or influence large parts of Port-au-Prince and nearby areas, restoring security before the elections remains one of the Haitian government’s most difficult challenges.