Nine people, including an Irish missionary and a three-year-old child, were kidnapped from an orphanage near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince on Sunday, officials said.
Gena Heraty, the facility's director, was among those taken from the privately-run Sainte-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff during the early hours of the morning, according to Mayor Massillon Jean.
Seven employees and a child were also taken from the orphanage, which cares for more than 240 children, some with disabilities.
"The attackers broke into the orphanage around 3:30am (07:30 GMT) without opening fire," Jean said, describing it as a "planned act".
The attackers had broken through a wall to enter the property, Jean said, before heading to the building where Ms Heraty was staying.
