A Spirit Airlines flight originating from Fort Lauderdale was hit by gunfire as it approached Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday, according to airline officials, who have suspended all flights to the country.
Spirit Airlines officials confirmed to WLRN that Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince was shot at while landing at Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
The airline reported that a flight attendant had suffered minor injuries but no passengers were injured.
READ MORE: Haiti replaces its prime minister, marking more turmoil in transition process
The Spirit Airlines pilots diverted the flight to Santiago in the Dominican Republic next door to Haiti. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane.
Spirit has now suspended all its flights to Haiti, and the Toussaint Louverture airport shut down, but it was unclear for how long.
CNN reported that JetBlue and American Airlines also cancelled flights to and from Haiti until Thursday.
Haiti’s powerful gangs, which control much of the country, were immediately suspected of firing at the plane. Last month, gang gunfire hit a U.N. helicopter in Port-au-Prince. After that incident, Spirit temporarily suspended its flights to Haiti.
The latest shooting came a day after Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Garry Connille was dismissed by the country’s Temporary Presidential Council — creating more political chaos.
In an alert issued Monday against anyone traveling to Haiti, U.S. embassy officials in Haiti reported the security situation remains “unpredictable and dangerous.”
“The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports,” the alert read.
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