gunfire It struck a Spirit Airlines flight to Haiti on Monday, injuring a crew member, and may have hit a separate flight from the country as the State Department warned of “gang-driven efforts” to halt travel to the Caribbean nation .

Spirit confirmed in a statement that one of its flights from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was diverted to the Dominican Republic on Monday. It said an inspection of the aircraft showed damage consistent with gunfire.

“A flight attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel,” the statement said. “No guest injuries were reported.”

Spirit said it was suspending service to Haiti pending an “evaluation” of the incident and that the plane was grounded for the time being. A return flight to Florida is being arranged for crew members and passengers who were diverted to the Dominican Republic.

The US State Department later issued an alert warning about “gang-led efforts” to stop travel to Haiti and warned Americans not to go there.

Also Monday, a post-flight inspection of the exterior of a JetBlue aircraft used for a trip from Port-au-Prince to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport turned up evidence that it had been hit by a round, the airline said. said in a statement.

“No problems were initially reported by the flight crew,” JetBlue said.

The airline launched an investigation and said its flights to and from Haiti would be suspended until at least December 2. He blamed “ongoing civil unrest” for the break in travel.

American Airlines said in a statement that it is also suspending service from Miami to Port-au-Prince.

“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security in mind and adjust our operations as necessary,” the statement said.

The State Department said in an alert from the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince on Monday that it was aware of a pause in operations at the city’s airport.

“The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports and airports,” the alert said.

The State Department advises against travel to Haiti, which is still in the midst of violent political unrest. Even domestic travel from the Caribbean is not recommended.

“You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti,” the embassy said. “Try to leave Haiti or travel to Haiti only if you believe it is safe to do so.”

Haiti was overtaken by armed groups fighting for control after a power vacuum it was left by the assassination of the democratically elected president Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Ariel Henry, the deeply unpopular prime minister at the time, assumed the role of president and failed to hold elections.

And when he again postponed this year’s elections, violence ensued as armed militias collapsed country in civil unrest and put the lives of civilians in danger.

Henry said in April that he will resign once other Caribbean nations and parties brokered a transitional government.