Kenyan officer reported missing in Haiti after gang ambush, as Rubio visits Caribbean to discuss Haitian security crisis

The officer disappeared after suspected gang members ambushed two armored vehicles in the town of Pont-Sondé, Artibonite region, according to a statement by the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS).

A member of the international force battling gangs in Haiti has been reported missing, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio launches a tour of the Caribbean with Haiti’s security crisis high on the agenda. The Kenyan police officer disappeared after suspected gang members ambushed two mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles on Tuesday in the town of Pont-Sondé, Artibonite region, according to a statement by the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). Forces from the MSS and the Haitian National Police are now carrying out a search and rescue operation to locate the missing officer, Kenya’s National Police Service said. The ambushed vehicles had been dispatched to recover an armored police vehicle that got stuck in a ditch – which MSS said may have been deliberately dug by gangs. During the recovery operation, one of the MRAP vehicles also got stuck and the other developed mechanical issues. As officers attempted to fix the issue, they were suddenly attacked by gang members, the MSS said in a statement. “As a result of the incident, one MSS Kenyan contingent officer remains unaccounted for,” MSS said. After the attack, videos were shared online purporting to show the officer’s body lying on the ground. CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the footage, and has reached out to MSS for more information.