Police in Haiti battle gang coalition trying to seize capital

Port au Prince, Haiti:Police on Monday clashed with gunmen trying to take over one of the few communities in Haiti s capital, Port au Prince, that is...

Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Police on Monday clashed with gunmen trying to take over one of the few communities in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, that is not controlled by gangs.

Solino has been under attack since Thursday, with residents calling radio stations pleading for help as they fled their homes. Officers seized control of several areas as they keep pursuing gang members, Haiti’s National Police said in a statement late Sunday.

In a video posted on social media, gang members hoisted automatic weapons in the air and cheered as they claimed control over parts of Solino, warning that all those who are not part of a gang coalition known as "Viv Ansanm” will be "burned to ashes.”

The coalition also has attacked other neighborhoods, including Tabarre 27, with the attacks forcing more than 4,200 people to flee, according to a report the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration released Monday.

More than 60% of those left homeless moved into already crowded makeshift shelters hosting others who lost their homes in recent years to gang violence. Others sought refuge at a school, a church and a health center, according to the report.