A Haitian gang Thursday freed the remaining members of a missionary group who were kidnapped in October.The spokesman for Haiti’s National Police, Gary Desrosiers, confirmed the remaining hostages had been released. “We glorify God for answered prayer — the remaining 12 hostages are FREE!” Ohio, US-based Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “Join us in praising God that all 17 of our loved ones are now safe.”

The Christian Aid group comprising 16 Americans and one Canadian was kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang while traveling by car northeast of Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, after visiting the Maison La Providence de Dieu orphanage, on October 16.

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There were five children in the group, including an 8-month-old. All hail from Amish, Mennonite and other conservative Anabaptist communities across six US states and Ontario, Canada. Their Haitian driver also was abducted, according to a local human rights organisation.

The gang had demanded $1 million per hostage, Haitian Justice and Interior Minister Liszt Quitel, was previously quoted as saying by several media outlets.

The gang had threatened to kill the hostages if its demands were not met, according to a video released by a gang member and reported by CNN. 400 Mawozo has been blamed for killings, kidnappings and extortion. In April, a man who claimed to be the gang’s leader told a radio station that it was responsible for abducting five priests, two nuns and three relatives of one of the priests that month, all of whom were later released.

At least 328 kidnappings were reported to Haiti’s National Police in the first eight months of 2021, compared with a total of 234 for all of 2020, according to a report by the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. UN officials have said the rise in gang violence has affected relief efforts in Haiti.