Explainer-Who are the Haiti pastors fighting back against gang violence?

FILE PHOTO: Asefie David sits next to the body of her son Peterson Gerome, who was killed by gang members after they took over the neighbourhood Carrefour Feuilles, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol/File Photo

(Reuters) - Hundreds of followers of a Haitian evangelical pastor, some armed with sticks and machetes, marched through a Port-au-Prince suburb on Saturday and confronted a gang controlling the area, sparking a melee that stood out even in a country accustomed to daily bloodshed.

A local rights group confirmed seven deaths but said the number may be as high as 20, though they were unable to enter the area to confirm. Others were injured and kidnapped in the confrontation.