ALBAWABA — Officials reported Tuesday that more than 500 prisoners had escaped from a prison in Mirebalais, Haiti, after highly armed gangs violently attacked and briefly took over major parts of the city.
The local government representative, Frédéric Ocius, said that the assault took place late on Sunday and early on Monday. 529 inmates were able to escape when gangs attacked the jail and the major police station. "The attackers were able to storm the facility and free the inmates because the police officers, who were already facing a manpower shortage, fled the station," Ocius told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The attack caused extensive damage in the city of Mirebalais, which is about 50 kilometers northeast of Port-au-Prince, the capital. Numerous local citizens were allegedly killed before military reinforcements were finally sent in to drive the attackers back.
In the midst of the turmoil, many of city residents fled to nearby towns, according to Ocius. The public high school has been overrun by the assailants, and the situation is still quite complicated. He cautioned, "We run the risk of losing command of the entire city."
There are still ongoing gunfights in Mirebalais between the security forces and gangs. The most recent wave of violence serves as a reminder of Haiti's worsening security conditions, which have been hampered by widespread gang activity and ongoing political unrest.
