El Salvador has sent special forces to Haiti to help find four Salvadoran soldiers missing since a gang ambush in Croix-des-Bouquets on October 18. The UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) confirmed the first contingent's arrival on October 22, The Haitian Times reported.

About 100 special forces soldiers landed at Toussaint Louverture airport on Thursday, and about 100 more arrived on Friday, according to HaitiLibre and Le Nouvelliste. A source quoted by Le Nouvelliste said 450 Salvadoran soldiers were in Port-au-Prince by Friday evening to reinforce the GSF and search for their compatriots. That figure has not been confirmed officially.

The four men have been missing since armed men fired on their armored vehicle and set it on fire in Santo, an area where the Chen Mechan and 400 Mawozo gangs operate. Authorities said the soldiers escaped the burning vehicle before contact was lost. No group has claimed responsibility.

President Nayib Bukele has warned the gangs to return the soldiers “alive and unharmed.” He says the men are aviation technicians assigned to medical evacuations, not combat troops. The new deployment changes the profile of El Salvador's contribution, which he had described as air support and technical help.

The GSF said it is working with the Haitian National Police and urged residents of Santo and nearby neighborhoods to stay away from areas where operations are under way. Residents of Clercine and Marin told The Haitian Times they could still hear gunfire on Wednesday evening, and some had started to leave.