Houses and vehicles were set on fire during the violence , while residents later protested over what they said was a lack of protection from security forces.

Haitian human rights organisation RNDDH said the death toll could reach 40 as searches continue across different parts of Kenscoff. People were also wounded and dozens of homes destroyed by fire.

One survivor, identified as Roger, described the conditions in which victims were killed.

"We are like animals. They killed a lot of horses and dogs there; we died in worse conditions than they did, because the horses were killed without being set on fire, but they killed us and burned us," he recounted.

Roger said several members of his family were among those caught in the attack.

"My sister, my brother, my niece and my nephew have been wounded by bullets. Some are in hospital. Even those lying there are my cousins; we are one family," he said.

A church being used as a shelter for people displaced by violence elsewhere in Haiti was also among the places attacked.

One Kenscoff resident said more victims had yet to be recovered.

"We have been able to count 8 dead; in addition, there are others who died near the police station and there are also several up there who have not yet been removed," he said.

Hundreds of residents later gathered outside the police station to protest the worsening security situation and demand stronger action from authorities.

The Haitian government announced that additional security forces would be sent to the area as authorities sought to regain control amid fresh clashes.

The attacks have been attributed to members of Viv Ansanm, a coalition of gangs seeking to strengthen its presence in Kenscoff. The area is considered strategic because of its location near the South-East department and the city of Jacmel, which had previously experienced lower levels of violence than other parts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince.

United Nations data shows violence in Haiti has left thousands of people dead and injured so far in 2026, alongside kidnappings and hundreds of cases of sexual violence, with women and girls among the main victims.