Ugandan Military Helicopter Crashes at Mogadishu A...

Ugandan Military Helicopter Crashes at Mogadishu Airport, Killing Five

Zim Now Writer

A Ugandan military helicopter assigned to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed on Wednesday at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, killing five of the eight people on board, according to Ugandan military spokesperson Brigadier Felix Kulayigye.

Three others on the helicopter survived but suffered serious burns and injuries. The crash triggered explosions as the impact detonated munitions onboard, damaging nearby infrastructure and injuring three civilians.

The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia confirmed the crash in an earlier statement, saying the aircraft went down just before landing and that emergency search-and-rescue efforts were underway at the scene.

Eyewitnesses at the airport described a harrowing scene. “We heard a blast and then saw thick smoke and flames covering the helicopter,” said Farah Abdulle, who works at the facility.

Images from the aftermath showed plumes of dark smoke rising over the airport’s perimeter.

The helicopter was part of the AU’s ongoing mission to support Somalia’s fight against al Shabaab, a militant group aligned with al Qaeda that has battled to overthrow Somalia’s internationally recognized government for nearly two decades. AUSSOM maintains more than 11,000 troops in the country.

Somalia’s state media outlet SONNA reported earlier that the aircraft was engulfed in flames following the crash.

Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the incident.