People Run as Gunfire Sounds Near Haiti's International Airport
A crowd of people were seen running for cover as gunfire sounded near Haiti’s main international airport in the capital Port-au-Prince, footage posted on Monday, March 4, showed.
The Associated Press reported that heavily armed gangs tried to seize control of the airport, exchanging gunfire with police and soldiers in the latest attack on key government sites.
It wasn’t immediately clear as of late Monday whether the attack was successful, the AP reported.
In the footage, by local journalist Joseph Jacques Hebreux, people can be seen running across a junction outside the main entrance road to Toussaint Louverture International Airport. A number of armed men in khaki uniforms are seen around the junction.
Haiti’s government declared a 72-hour state of emergency on Sunday after armed gangs stormed a major prison. Approximately 3,900 inmates are reported to have escaped.
The violence came days after Kenya signed a deal to send 1,000 police as part of a security mission to Haiti.
The United States said it would not be sending US troops to Haiti to support the police security operations, a National Security Council official told the Miami Herald. Credit: Joseph Jacques Hébreux via Storyful
