El Salvador has deployed more than 2,000 troops to Haiti to rescue four missing Salvadoran soldiers and assist in security operations against gangs.

The announcement came Wednesday from El Salvador's foreign ministry following a phone call between President Nayib Bukele and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The soldiers, air force technicians serving with the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, disappeared after an ambush on their armored vehicle on October 18 in the gang-controlled area of Croix-des-Bouquets near Port-au-Prince.

Bukele stated the troops would also help ongoing efforts against Haitian gangs. The foreign ministry described the action as a large-scale operation supported by international partners. Earlier reports indicated around 1,000 troops had arrived by late last week, with the total now exceeding 2,000.

Haiti handed over four bodies this week that officials claimed belonged to the missing men, but Bukele said they did not match. No gang has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Gang Suppression Force includes personnel from several countries and aims to support Haitian police against armed groups that control large parts of the capital and other areas. UN data shows gangs killed over 2,300 people in Haiti in the first five months of this year alone.

Separately, Haiti's electoral council postponed presidential and parliamentary elections from December 13 to July 18, 2027, citing security concerns.

Bukele has maintained a state of emergency in El Salvador since 2022 as part of his crackdown on gangs there. The current mission marks one of the largest foreign deployments for El Salvador in decades.