Haiti’s government said Thursday that it was extending a state of emergency and nighttime curfew to try and curb violent gang attacks that have paralyzed Port-au-Prince amid a fierce political battle for power.
An initial three-day curfew was announced over the weekend, but gangs have continued to attack police stations and other state institutions at night as Haiti’s National Police struggles to contain the violence with limited staff and resources.
Scores of people have died in the recent attacks, including several police officers. The violence also has left more than 15,000 people homeless.
A U.S. Defense official says a Marine Corps Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team, or FAST team is being deployed to Haiti to protect the U.S. Embassy. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the deployment.