A Belgian military transport aircraft was shot at during a United Nations operation in Haiti last Sunday, but it landed safely and its crew escaped unharmed.
The attack involved an A400M aircraft conducting a flight from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, as part of a UN peacekeeping mission.
According to Belgium’s Defence Minister Theo Francken’s office, the aircraft was transporting around 80 soldiers from Chad to support the mission. After delivering the troops in Port-au-Prince, it returned to Santo Domingo.
Upon inspection following the flight, bullet holes were found in the tail and engine of the aircraft. Initial findings suggest the plane was fired upon just before landing in Port-au-Prince.
Temporary repairs were made to the aircraft, and it safely returned to its home base in Melsbroek, Belgium.
Haiti has long been plagued by violent gang activities, including murders, rapes, and kidnappings, which have intensified in recent years.
