Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry speaks at a ceremony for his inauguration as Minister of Culture and Communication, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti November 26, 2021. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 3 (Reuters) – Gunmen unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry during an event on Saturday commemorating the Caribbean country’s independence, his office said in a statement.

Henry’s office said on Monday that “bandits and terrorists” had tried to shoot the prime minister at a church in the northern city of Gonaives where the ceremony marking the 218th anniversary of independence was taking place.

Video footage broadcast on social media showed Henry and his entourage scrambling toward their vehicles as an armed group began shooting outside the cathedral in Gonaives.

Local media said one person was killed and two were injured in the gunfire. National police were unable to immediately confirm the casualties.

The prime minister’s office said arrest warrants had been issued for the suspects who fired on Henry’s convoy.

The attack has renewed concerns about the safety of officials in Haiti, which has been mired in political turmoil since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July.

Henry, whose administration is facing mounting challenges to its legitimacy, was sworn in as prime minister barely two weeks after Moise’s killing at the hands of suspected mercenaries. The country has yet to set a date to elect Moise’s successor.

Reporting by Gessika Thomas; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Bill Berkrot

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