The Gang Suppression Force (GRG) confirmed on Sunday, October 25, 2026, that it has received human remains "suspected to be those of the four Salvadoran military personnel currently reported missing following the attack that took place in the Santo area, Croix-des-Bouquets, on October 18, 2026.<\/p>

A statement, of which Le Nouvelliste<\/i> obtained a copy, was published in this regard. In the text, the multinational force specifies, however, that it is not yet able to confirm the identity of the victims.<\/p>

"On behalf of all the personnel of the GRG, our thoughts are with the families of the four missing military personnel, their comrades-in-arms, as well as the government and people of El Salvador during these difficult times," said Jack Christofides, special representative of the Gang Suppression Force, quoted in the statement.<\/p>

This announcement comes the day after revelations from the New York Times reporting on the afternoon of Saturday, October 24, the discovery of four bodies presumed to belong to Salvadoran military personnel. According to the American daily, the remains would have been found six days after the ambush in which the soldiers were victims in an area controlled by criminal groups.<\/p>

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, shortly thereafter, denied that these were the bodies of Salvadorans. "These are not our men. An NGO handed over human remains at the airport, claiming they belonged to our four aerotechnicians. However, the remains correspond to a child, to a man of significantly greater stature than that of our aerotechnicians, and to a person who wore part of a uniform from an army that is not ours. Among the remains, we also found identification notebooks and military uniforms from other countries."<\/p>

The disappearance of the Salvadoran military personnel has triggered a significant mobilization of forces engaged in the GRG. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, had announced the sending of military reinforcements to Haiti and threatened criminal groups with retaliation if his compatriots were not released alive.<\/p>

In its statement of October 25, the GRG thanked the Haitian authorities, the troop-contributing countries, and the Salvadoran authorities for their cooperation. It emphasizes the need to maintain close coordination with Haitian security forces in the fight against armed gangs.<\/p>

The multinational force also clarifies regarding a Chadian military identification card whose images are circulating on social media. According to the GRG, this card belongs to a soldier from the Chadian contingent and was lost during the search operations for the Salvadoran military personnel. The soldier in question is with his unit and is not among the missing persons.<\/p>

The GRG assures that it will communicate new information through its official channels as soon as verified elements are available.<\/p>