(CNN)As many as 17 American missionaries have been reported kidnapped by gang members in Haiti on Saturday, including 14 adults and three minors, a source in Haiti's security forces told CNN.
The source cautioned that the investigation is ongoing and more information would be available Sunday morning.
The missionaries were traveling by vehicle Saturday to Titanyen, north of the capital Port-au-Prince, after visiting an orphanage in the Croix des Bouquets area. They were abducted along the route between the two places.
CNN has reached out to the Haitian Justice Ministry and the National Police but they have not yet commented.
An Ohio-based Christian aid group called Christian Aid Ministries confirmed the missionaries and family members abducted in Haiti are affiliated with it, according to a report in the Washington Post. The report quoted a minute long "prayer alert" from the organization and a person familiar with the abduction.
The "prayer alert" obtained by the paper stated that "men, women and children" associated with the group were being held by an armed gang.
The minute long recording confirms those abducted include organization staff as well as family members who were returning from a site visit to an orphanage in Haiti, according to the report.
"The mission field director and the American embassy are working to see what can be done," the voice on the recording stated, the Washington Post reported. "Pray that the gang members will come to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ."
CNN has reached out directly to the Christian Aid Ministries via email and through the number listed on their website, but is yet to hear back.
A US State Department spokesperson said late Saturday they were aware of the reports.
"The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time," the spokesperson said.
Kidnappings have surged in Haiti throughout 2021, with numbers rising nearly 300% since July.
At least 628 kidnappings have taken place since January, of which 29 are foreigners, according to data released earlier this month by the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, a non-profit based in Port-au-Prince.
This is a developing story.
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October 17, 2021 at 11:52AM
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Up to 17 American missionaries reported as kidnapped by gang members in Haiti - CNN
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