Police operation in Haiti capital against 'Barbecue' gang

Port au Prince: Police in Haiti seized firearms and cleared roadblocks in a Port au Prince neighborhood controlled by notorious gang leader Jimmy Bar...

Port-au-Prince: Police in Haiti seized firearms and cleared roadblocks in a Port-au-Prince neighborhood controlled by notorious gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, in an operation that left several criminals dead, authorities said Saturday.

National police units entered the Delmas neighborhood Friday evening with the aim of unblocking a road, said Lionel Lazarre of the Haitian police union.

Several "bandits" were killed, he said. A later police statement said officers exchanged gunfire with men from Cherizier's gang, seized firearms and succeeded in unblocking roads.

"New strategies are being implemented by the police with the aim of recovering certain areas occupied by these armed gangs in recent days, in order to facilitate the free movement of peaceful citizens," the statement said, without providing details.

Another operation was underway Saturday morning as law enforcement attempted to regain control of the capital's main port, where gangs had looted several containers, a source at the port told AFP.