Haitian authorities have grappled with the rise of powerful armed gangs and have rarely sought accountability for violence.

Armed men opened fire on a group of journalists who had gathered in Haiti to cover the reopening of the capital’s largest public hospital.

While authorities did not provide details of casualties in Tuesday’s attack, Reuters reported that two journalists and a police officer were killed, citing a journalist who witnessed the attack and asked not to be named.

“We express our condolences to all the families of the victims, especially the Haitian National Police and all journalists associations,” Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council said in a social media post.

“We would like to assure them that this behavior will not come without consequences.”

The attack is the latest in Haiti, where ongoing political and economic instability has fueled a rise in violence armed gang They’ve become even more powerful since the former president was assassinated Jovenel Moise 2021.

Law enforcement authorities in the island nation have been struggling to crack down on criminal gangs that have taken control of about 80% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where widespread violence has targeted civilians and disrupted public order. important services.

One of the facilities forced to close in March was General Hospital, the largest public hospital in the country. Journalists had gathered to cover the facility’s reopening on Tuesday morning when a gunman opened fire at around 11am (16:00 GMT), Reuters reported.

Government officials held a meeting in July to demand the reopening of hospitals in downtown Port-au-Prince, but the event was also met with gunfire, forcing former Prime Minister Gary Connier to flee the scene.

An unverified video posted online on Tuesday appeared to show three journalists lying injured on the floor of the building. A recent United Nations report stated that only 24% of people sanitary facilities The Port-au-Prince area is operational.

Johnson “Izo” Andre, a powerful gang leader in the Viv Ansanm alliance, posted a video on social media on Tuesday claiming responsibility for the attack.