Haiti gang retaliation leaves at least 11 dead after security operation

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Sept 28 (Reuters) - At ‌least 11 ​people ​were killed on Monday in Haiti's central Artibonite region by gang members after a deadly security operation, ‌the local mayor said.

The attack is the latest ⁠reprisal against residents in areas contested by armed groups, particularly in the ‌farming heartland of Artibonite.

Earlier in ‌the day, a Sri Lankan unit of the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, a multinational mission meant to tackle rampant ​violence, pushed back gang members who set up illegal toll points, Mayor Hubert Ceneac told Radio Kiskeya.

The operation ⁠left three gang members dead, the force said in a statement.

The mayor said the ​UN-backed force only stayed in the area for a few hours, before returning to the town of ​Gonaives where they are based.

"The ‌bandits in retaliation attacked...they killed and burned homes," Ceneac said, adding that between 11 and 12 ⁠people had been killed.

Rosy Ducena, who heads the National Human Rights Defense Network, said the total death toll and damages were not ⁠yet clear.

"However, we have already received a report of a single family ​that lost several members," she added.

Ceneac said the area was a stronghold of the Kokorat San Ras gang. Haiti's security crisis has worsened ‌beyond the capital Port-au-Prince as gangs have expanded their reach.

The Gang Suppression Force's mandate is set ‌to expire this week if not extended by the UN ⁠Security Council. The matter ‌is scheduled for a ​vote on Tuesday morning.

(Reporting by Harold Isaac; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Michael ‌Perry)

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