African Union peacekeeping helicopter crashes at Somali airport

By Mohamed Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA)- A helicopter belonging to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSOM) crashed on Wednesday at the international airport in Mogadishu, the nation’s capital, an official said.

A civil aviation official in Mogadishu speaking on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media told Anadolu that the peacekeepers’ helicopter was carrying eight personnel and crashed during landing at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde Airport after departing Balidoogle airfield where US and Somali special forces are based.

He said that there are casualties without specifying how many were killed or wounded in the crash but added that rescue workers and firefighters arrived at the scene and contained the fire of the crashed copter.

Halima Ahmed, a resident of the capital’s Wabari district who spoke to Anadolu over the phone, said he saw thick smoke coming from the airport Wednesday.

Several flights were delayed during the incident but the airport has reportedly resumed normal operations.