At least 16 American missionaries, five of them children, were reportedly abducted at an airport in Haiti while on their way home after visiting an orphanage, ABC News reported.
Officials said a Haitian gang abducted 19 people at a Haiti checkpoint during an airport, a US embassy source told ABC News. The abduction took place at the intersection of Carrefour Boen and La Tremblay 17, a source in the Haitian presidential office said.
Of the abducted group, 16 are American missionaries from Ohio. The other three abductees are a Canadian missionary and two Haitians, according to the US embassy.
According to the source, two French priests were also abducted in a separate attack on the same place earlier in the day. The Haitian government suspects that the gang, known as 400 Mawozo, is behind the abductions.
It was not immediately clear where the victims were taken and there are no immediate updates on their current condition. The embassy is working with a special group of Americans in the country to investigate the abductions.
The Ohio-based Ministry of Christian Aid confirmed in a statement that a group of 17 people were “kidnapped” while on a trip to an orphanage on Saturday.
“We want an urgent prayer for the group of Christian Aid ministry officials abducted during a trip to visit an orphanage on Saturday, October 16,” the statement said on Sunday. “We are looking for God’s guidance for a solution and the authorities are looking for ways to help.
The gang is also accused of kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year, according to the Associated Press.
Our prayers are with the victims and their families, and we hope that they will be returned home safely. We will keep you informed of all updates.
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