Suspected gang members exchange fire with US Marines in Haiti

A group of suspected Haitian gang members fired this week on American forces protecting the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, a spokesman said Saturday, in an incident that highlighted the tense security situation in the Caribbean nation.

Capt. Steven J. Keenan, a spokesman for the U.S. Marines, wrote in an email that the shooting, which came to light this weekend, happened Thursday, adding that the Marines returned fire. No Marines were hurt in the attack.

Haitian police were not immediately available to comment on the exchange of fire.

Gangs control 90% of Haiti’s capital, where they extort businesses and fight for territory, using heavy weaponry.

Read more: Marine Corps Times