Port-au-Prince, Haiti - Haiti's prime minister escaped unharmed Monday after gangs opened fire near a hospital he was visiting, a government source told AFP, as the nation seeks to restore stability after months of gang-related violence.

Garry Conille, who came to office in June, was leaving the establishment in a gang-controlled area of capital Port-au-Prince when gunmen began firing automatic weapons, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Conille, escorted by Haitian police and members of a UN-backed Kenyan security force, was able to flee the area unharmed.

Video footage showed several police officers running to take cover as shots rang out. It has not been announced if there were any injuries.

The hospital building was under gang control from the end of February until early July, when a police operation succeeded in taking it back.

Criminal groups control some 80% of Port-au-Prince, with residents saying they have faced the threat of murder, rape, and kidnapping for ransom.

Hundreds of police officers from Kenya have been deployed in Haiti's capital, part of an international effort with the stated aim of bringing stability to a country riven by political, social, and economic chaos.

Many Haitian advocates have argued that reparations from Western nations are required to address the crises of debt, vulnerability, and trauma at their root.

Conille has vowed to restore the authority of the state. He came to office as part of an interim government that was formed following the resignation of his unelected predecessor, Ariel Henry.