Five killed as military helicopter crashes at airport in Somalia

The Mi-24 helicopter, operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission, was on ‘a routine combat escort mission’ when it crashed

Mogadishu (Somalia): Five people were killed when a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed Wednesday at the airport in the capital, Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities.

The Mi-24 helicopter with eight people on board was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region. It had originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission.

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Uganda‘s military said in a statement that the helicopter was on “a routine combat escort mission” when it crashed. The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and severe burns, it said.

Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations are underway.

Aviation officer Omar Farah, who was among the first to reach the crash site, told The Associated Press that he “saw the helicopter spinning and then it fell very fast”.

Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw “a huge explosion and smoke everywhere”.

Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed.

The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight the extremist rebels of al-Shabab, a group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation.

The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya.