Six nuns and two others kidnapped in Haiti last week have been released, the archbishop of Port-au-Prince told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The group was released late on Wednesday and everyone is in good condition, said Archbishop Max Leroy Mesidor.

“Thanks to God for helping us,” he said.

He declined to say whether a ransom was paid or to provide other details, including who was responsible.

This latest high-profile kidnapping prompted religious leaders to issue a scathing letter criticising the government for its inaction toward Haiti’s surge in gang-related violence.

The nuns from the Congregation of the Sisters of St Anne and two other unidentified people were abducted last Friday while traveling aboard a bus in Port-au-Prince, according to religious leaders.

Gangs are estimated to control up to 80% of the capital and were blamed for nearly 2,500 kidnappings last year, an 83% increase compared with the previous year, according to UN statistics.