Armed men opened fire on journalists during the reopening of a hospital in Haiti Crime News

Haitian authorities have struggled to deal with the rise of powerful armed gangs, and accountability for violence is rare.

Armed men opened fire on a group of journalists in Haiti who had gathered to report on the reopening of the capital's largest public hospital.

Although the authorities have not released details of the casualties in the attack on Tuesday, the Reuters news agency reported that two journalists and a policeman were killed, citing a journalist who witnessed the attack and asked not to be named.

“We express our sympathy to all the families of the victims, especially PNH [Haiti’s national police] and all journalist organizations,” said Haiti's interim presidential council on social media.

“We assure them that this action will not remain without consequences.”

The attack is the latest in Haiti, where ongoing political and economic instability has helped fuel the rise of violent gangs that have grown in strength since the 2021 assassination of former President Jovenel Moise.

Law enforcement authorities in the island nation have struggled to combat gangs, which now control nearly 80 percent of the capital, Port-Au-Prince, where rampant violence has trampled residents and disrupted essential services.

Another facility that was forced to close in March is the General Hospital, which is the largest public hospital in the country. Journalists were gathered on Tuesday morning to cover the opening of the center when gunmen opened fire around 11:00 (16:00 GMT), Reuters reported.

Government officials had gathered to reopen a hospital in the city of Port-Au-Prince in July, but that event was again marred by gunfire, forcing former Prime Minister Garry Conille to flee the scene.

An unverified video posted online on Tuesday appears to show three journalists lying injured on the floor of a building. A recent report by the United Nations revealed that only 24 percent of health facilities in the Port-Au-Prince area are functional.

Johnson “Izo” Andre, a powerful gang leader in the coalition known as Viv Ansanm, posted a video on social media on Tuesday praising the attack.