(Mogadishu) – A military helicopter operated by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) crash landed at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport on Wednesday morning, sparking a fire and prompting emergency rescue efforts.
The aircraft, which was carrying eight personnel, was en route from the Baledogle military airbase to the capital when it crashed just before landing at approximately 7:30 a.m. local time. The incident caused an explosion and heavy smoke, briefly covering the crash site in flames, according to eyewitnesses at the airport.
Three of the eight individuals on board were rescued immediately and taken to the AUSSOM Level II hospital in Mogadishu for medical attention. The status of the remaining five crew members remains unknown, as search and rescue efforts continued into the afternoon. There were no immediate reports confirming fatalities.
A statement released by AUSSOM confirmed the crash and said that an investigation is now underway to determine the cause. The mission added that it is working closely with relevant authorities to retrieve the remaining personnel and ensure their safety.
AUSSOM, which includes over 11,000 troops, is mandated to assist Somali forces in stabilisation efforts and in the fight against al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked extremist group that has been waging an insurgency for nearly two decades. The group aims to overthrow Somalia’s internationally recognised government and enforce its version of Islamic law.
Eyewitness Farah Abdulle, who works at the airport, told Reuters he saw flames and heavy smoke rise above the crash site. “We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter. The smoke entirely covered the helicopter,” he said.
The African Union peacekeeping mission plays a key role in security operations in Somalia, including protection of critical infrastructure and support for state building efforts. Uganda is one of the main troop contributing countries to AUSSOM, alongside Burundi, Kenya, Djibouti, and Ethiopia.
While the identities of the affected UPDF personnel were not immediately released, both AUSSOM and the Government of Uganda are expected to provide further details once families have been informed and the investigation progresses.
