**Fifty Suspected Gang Members Killed in Haiti Coastal Town Attack**

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - This week, around 50 alleged gang members lost their lives following an assault on a coastal town in Haiti, according to a government official. Among the dead, a dozen individuals drowned when their boat capsized.

The violent incursion began on Monday in the town of Arcahaie, north-west of the capital Port-au-Prince. Gunmen were reported to set homes and vehicles on fire as they launched their offensive. When their ammunition depleted, the assailants sought refuge in nearby areas only to be rooted out by local residents and police forces, said Wilner Réné from Haiti's Civil Protection Agency in an interview with Radio Caraïbes.

A significant portion of the fatalities occurred when a boat ferrying ammunition to the gang members crashed into a reef on Wednesday, causing it to capsize, according to Réné. While the primary cause of most deaths was police action, the situation continued to be volatile, with Réné calling urgently for reinforcements from soldiers and specialized police units to assist the ongoing operation.

The attack has been attributed to the gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm, which has also been responsible for recent violent activities in Port-au-Prince. In these assaults, over 10,000 residents have been displaced within just one week, according to a recent report by the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration. The report noted that more than half of the displaced individuals are now residing in 14 improvised shelters, including schools, while others have found temporary refuge with relatives.

This surge in violence comes mere months after the initiation of a U.N.-supported mission led by Kenyan police, aimed at curbing gang control, which currently covers over 80% of Port-au-Prince. The relentless violence this year has rendered more than 700,000 people homeless, resulted in numerous fatalities, and caused the country's main airport to shut down for nearly three months. U.S. officials and top Haitian government representatives have voiced concerns over a shortage of personnel and funding in the Kenyan-led mission, advocating for its replacement with a U.N. peacekeeping operation.