Bandits attacked a prison in the capital of Haiti and freed some of the prisoners.

Armed men attacked the national prison in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, where unrest is taking place, and released an unknown number of prisoners, radio station Métronome reports, citing officials from the prison service (APENA).

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“Heavily armed bandits attacked the national prison on Saturday evening (local time). According to APENA officers who were present at the scene but were subsequently forced to retreat due to the attack by bandits, several prisoners are on the run, including known bandits.” – the radio station reports.

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As the radio notes, these data are still difficult to confirm against the backdrop of the general confusing situation in Port-au-Prince, where shots are heard in different places.

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Gangs are also reported to have attacked the national prison and released a “significant” number of prisoners.

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Haiti has been experiencing a decades-long socio-political crisis that has worsened since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.

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Since then, the inaction of the authorities has led to an unprecedented increase in the influence of gangster groups that engage in extortion, kidnapping for ransom and control entire areas of the country, including fuel terminals.