MOGADISHU – A Ugandan military helicopter deployed with the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at Mogadishu airport on Wednesday, a Ugandan military spokesperson confirmed.
Of the helicopter’s eight occupants, three survived, according to spokesperson Felix Kulayigye, though details about the condition of the remaining five people have not been released. A fire broke out at the crash site, and emergency responders worked to extinguish the flames.
In a statement, the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said, “Search and rescue operations are currently underway to retrieve the remaining crew and passengers.”
According to AUSSOM, the helicopter crash-landed at Mogadishu’s international airport just moments before it was due to touch down. Earlier in the day, Somalia’s state-run SONNA news agency reported that the helicopter was engulfed in flames after the crash.
“We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter,” said Farah Abdulle, an airport worker who witnessed the incident. “The smoke entirely covered the helicopter.”
AUSSOM currently has more than 11,000 personnel in Somalia, supporting the country’s military in its fight against the Al-Qaeda affiliated group Al-Shabab. The Islamist group has waged an insurgency for nearly two decades, seeking to overthrow Somalia’s internationally recognized government and impose its strict interpretation of Sharia law.
