A gang leader said the bloodshed was meant to cut the capital off from a rice-growing region of Haiti amid starvation conditions.

Haiti has been reeling from a worsening conflict for years, where armed gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and other regions where they indulge in kidnappings, rapes, murders and more. The gang shot people and set fire to dozens of homes and vehicles on Thursday.

Haiti’s Catholic Church has long been a powerful voice. But in recent years, the institution and its leaders have taken a step back from the spotlight as armed gangs target both members and religious leaders: Priest and nuns have been kidnapped, and church property, including hospitals and schools, have been ransacked.