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Haiti

Haiti: UN peacekeepers mount new anti-gang operation in capital

Continuing their anti-gang operations in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, United Nations peacekeepers launched another raid in the Cité Militaire area yesterday after intense firing during the night sowed panic among residents.

During the raid, troops of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) detained some 50 suspects, 40 of whom were later released, and seized a M16 sub-machinegun, two pistols and 2,000 cartridges. Two people were wounded.

The area was later reported calm but the UN troops remained there.

Earlier this week, 200 UN peacekeepers waged an eight-hour gun battle with heavily armed men who attacked them in Cité Militaire, killing four of the assailants.

MINUSTAH was set up by the Security Council last year to help to re-establish peace in the impoverished Caribbean country after an insurgency forced elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to go into exile in February 2004.