Sri Lanka sends 218 more personnel to Haiti gang suppression mission

Sri Lanka sent 218 Army and Special Task Force personnel to Haiti on October 16, 2026, to join the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) mission.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the contingent comprised 173 Sri Lanka Army personnel and 45 Special Task Force (STF) personnel.

The deployment follows the departure of 280 Army personnel, including 21 officers and 259 other ranks, on October 14.

The new arrivals will join the Sri Lankan contingent already serving in Haiti. Its security duties include armoured vehicle patrols and the protection of key supply routes.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Army has also provided support to a 50-member Bangladesh contingent travelling through Sri Lanka to join the same mission.

Since the Bangladesh contingent arrived on October 15, the Army has provided food, accommodation, transport and other essential facilities. The Ministry described the assistance as a gesture of goodwill and mutual cooperation.