Police in Haiti have killed three people while stopping armed criminals from looting money from the country’s central bank, according to the AFP report.

During an interview with the AFP, an employee of the Haiti central bank said police killed at least three people, while several others were injured after a group of armed criminals attacked the bank.

In a statement, the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) on March 19, 2024 applauded the security forces for offering protection.

“Following an incident yesterday near [our] site on Rue Pavee, security forces and the bank’s security team acted with professionalism and efficiency,” BRH posted on X.

“We are deeply grateful to our officers and the state police for their vigilance,” BRH added.

According to the AFP report, the bank is one of a few key institutions still running in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.

The attack on Haiti’s central bank comes a few days after weeks of violence in the country that led to the resignation of prime minister Ariel Henry.

Ariel Henry resigned to allow the formation of an interim government. 

This was after he was barred from returning to Haiti after leaving in late January 2024 for state visits to Guyana and Kenya.

The Haiti prime minister had signed a deal with the Kenyan government on the deployment of police officers to help tackle the violence.

Meanwhile, violent gangs raided prisons and released thousands of inmates during the protests in the country.

The war has intensified in Haiti as police try to recapture areas of Port-au-Prince held by notorious gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, nicknamed ‘Barbecue’.

At the same time, the BBC reported that Haitians could not see an end to what is happening in their country, even after the government declared a one month state of emergency.