El Salvador's Bukele announces military operation to rescue soldiers abducted in Haiti

President Nayib Bukele has announced a military operation to rescue four Salvadoran soldiers abducted by gangs in Haiti.

• Bukele announced Wednesday that El Salvador had launched a military operation to rescue four soldiers missing since a gang attack on their vehicle three days earlier.
• The abducted men are aviation technicians with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF) in Haiti.
• Bukele warned the gangs that a more forceful response would follow if the personnel were not released alive and well.
• Haiti's government said the soldiers' release was an "absolute priority," adding that officials met at the prime minister's office to assess operations.
• The four missing soldiers were non-combatant air force members on a medical evacuation mission, ambushed in Croix-des-Bouquets.
• The area is controlled by armed groups, and no gang has claimed responsibility for the abduction.