Armed men kidnap high-ranking security official in Haiti

Armed men in Haiti have kidnapped the defence minister's chief of staff, the highest-ranking official to be kidnapped in the violence-wracked Caribbean country in recent years.

Top security official James Boyard, who is also inspector general of Haiti's police, was seized in the island's capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

Both the Associated Press news agency and the New York Times confirmed his abduction via sources, with the newspaper adding Boyard's wife and six-year-old daughter were also taken.

A ransom has been requested, according to the New York Times, who cited a person familiar with the case.

Boyard, a highly respected security expert, is chief of staff to Mario Andrésol who was appointed in March.

He was tasked with helping rebuild Haiti's armed forces.

Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told AP news agency kidnappings are increasingly occurring in areas of Port-au-Prince once considered safe.

He added gang members have been kidnapping people with double nationalities and targeting public officials, which could mean they are trying to seek higher ransoms or possibly dissuade authorities from attacking gang-controlled areas where hostages are held.

Gang violence has ravaged the Caribbean country for years and the multinational police force sent to contain it has struggled to enter areas where gangs hold sway.

So far this year, gang-related violence has resulted in at least 2,310 deaths, 1,106 injuries and 99 kidnappings, according to the United Nations earlier this month.

It has also caused record levels of displacement with nearly 1.5 million people without a place to live, according to the latest figures released by the UN migration agency.

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