Haitian gangs battle police near National Palace

Downtown Port-au-Prince in Haiti saw intense gunfire on Monday as police clashed with gang members near the National Palace in a 12-hour confrontation. Reports from local media indicated that at least one policeman was shot during the pitched gun battle after officers were forced to flee the safety of their armored car when it was set ablaze. However, they were not the only casualties, and video shows bodies lying in the street following the deadly standoff. Scores of people found themselves trapped by the gunfire, until eventually they and the police were able to flee the area under the cover of another armored vehicle. This is the latest in the now-protracted battle for control over Haiti. Powerful gangs, and/or perhaps revolutionaries, have launched a series of attacks targeting key government infrastructure. Over the past month, these groups have set fire to police stations, targeted the main international airport, and raided the country’s largest prisons, releasing over 4,000 inmates. Although violence has somewhat subsided in certain areas since the attacks began in late February, gunfire and death remain a daily occurrence.