Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille on Monday escaped unharmed after gangs opened fire near a hospital in Port-au-Prince where he had paid a visit.
According to sources privy to the information, journalists had been interviewing the interim prime minister at the hospital when gunshots were heard in a nearby neighbourhood.
The incident occurred while Garry Conille was in the company of Haitian National Police and members of a UN-backed Kenyan security force.
Security forces protecting Haiti’s leader provided cover by firing back at the gangs as Conille's motorcade rushed to leave the hospital premises.
Video footage showed several police officers running to take cover as the battle between the officers and the gangs intensified. It has not been announced if there were any injuries.
Moments after the exchange of fire, the Haitian police and the Kenyan police followed up where the shots had been fired from the neighbourhood and reinforced the area.
Garry Conille had visited the General hospital to conduct a surprise inspection of the medical facility's operating conditions when the incident occurred.
The hospital building had been under gang control beginning the end of February until early July, when a police operation succeeded in reclaiming it.
The incident comes hardly a week after the Kenyan government announced progress by the Kenyan Police officers in Haiti in curbing gang violence in the Caribbean nation.
The National Police Service (NPS ) in a statement, revealed the officers managed to recover several critical infrastructure from gang dominance.
According to police service, the Kenyan contingent which is part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission managed to recapture Auorite Portuaire Nationale (APN) port from gangs.
“The MSS team comprising the National Police Service Officers and the Haiti Police has continued to register success as they combat gang activities and restore security in Haiti," read part of the statement by NPS.
