Shooting, disturbances at Haiti-Dominican border

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic – Military officials in the Dominican Repubic say a shootout between troops and cement smugglers at the Haitian border has wounded three Haitians and one Dominican soldier.

Defence Minister Ruben Paulino Sem says soldiers tried to stop a contraband load of cement when they came under fire Saturday. He says three wagonloads of cement crossed the border into the Haitian border town of Belladere, while three others were halted on the Dominican side.

He said Sunday that commercial traffic isn’t allowed through that crossing.

The minister said that after the incident, disturbances broke out on the Haitian side, with police firing tear gas.

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse sent a tweet mentioning violence in Belladere that he said had left several injured.