Haiti drone strikes kill over 1,200 people, including civilians, rights group says

Human Rights Watch released a report on Tuesday documenting at least 1,243 deaths from drone strikes carried out by Haitian security forces and private contractors between March 1, 2025, and January 21, 2026.

The strikes, conducted across 141 operations, employed quadcopter drones armed with explosives in densely populated urban areas, particularly in Port-au-Prince. According to the report, the operations resulted in 738 additional injuries.

Among those killed were at least 43 adults and 17 children with no reported affiliation to criminal organizations. Of the 738 wounded, 49 had no involvement with criminal groups, the rights group said.

The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti attributed the strikes to a specialized task force created by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, which operates with support from Vectus Global, a United States-licensed private military firm. The U.S. ambassador to Haiti confirmed American involvement in the operations.

Prime Minister Fils-Aimé assumed office in February with backing from the United States. The drone operations were launched as part of efforts to combat organized crime and gang violence in the country.

Human Rights Watch characterized some of the strikes as potentially constituting violations of international law and possible extrajudicial executions. The report noted that strikes have killed and wounded dozens of people in single operations, including children and residents without criminal records, in areas with high civilian populations.

The operations have intensified over the period covered by the report. Human Rights Watch recommended that Haitian armed forces take immediate action to prevent further deaths and injuries to civilians in the ongoing strikes.