The soldiers, identified by the Armed Forces of El Salvador as aviation technicians, managed to flee their burning vehicle but contact has not been re-established. Helicopters sent to locate them were fired upon as they dispersed personnel.
"Multiple attempts to approach by land and air have been made, but the intensity of the fighting has hampered these," a Salvadoran statement said. The GSF has advised residents to remain indoors while the situation is assessed.
The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet on Monday about Haiti, and the attack is expected to dominate the conversation. The GSF officially began operations on 1 June but has so far operated only in a limited capacity, with more than 1,500 troops from Chad, Jamaica, Guatemala and El Salvador on the ground. It is expected to reach full operational capacity by the end of the year.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The area where the armoured vehicle was struck is controlled by gangs including Kraze Barye, led by Vitelhomme Innocent, and 400 Mawozo, led by Lanmo Sanjou, both sanctioned by the UN and the United States.
Haiti remains in a multidimensional crisis since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, marked by extreme violence, political deadlock and dire humanitarian conditions. Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people. The UN reports at least 5,700 people killed or injured from January to mid-September this year, and 230 kidnapped.