MOGADISHU, Somalia — A Ugandan military helicopter carrying eight individuals crashed today at Aden Adde International Airport in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. An aviation official confirmed the incident, which occurred at the main international airport.
According to the state-run news agency, a fire erupted following the helicopter crash but was swiftly brought under control by emergency services.
Video footage circulated online depicts plumes of smoke rising from the airport area.
“We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter. The smoke entirely covered the helicopter,” Farah Abdulle, an airport staff member, told Vivid Voice News.
The precise cause of the crash and the number of casualties remain unclear. Ahmed Maalim, head of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, informed this publiation that the helicopter went down in the airport’s military section after flying in from the Balidogle airbase in the Lower Shabelle region.
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Maalim confirmed that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
Ugandan troops are deployed in Somalia as part of an African Union (AU) force.
This force is actively assisting the Somali government in its ongoing fight against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group, which continues to wage a persistent insurgency in the country.
