African Union chopper crashes in Somali capital

The helicopter from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) was carrying eight personnel when it crashed during landing, SONNA said on its X account, adding that the fire had been contained.

It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties. An AUSSOM spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.

“We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter,” Farah Abdulle, who works at the airport, Reuters news agency reported.

“The smoke entirely covered the helicopter.”

AUSSOM has more than 11,000 personnel in Somalia to help the country’s military counter extremist group Al-Shabab.

The Al-Qaeda affiliate has been fighting for nearly two decades to topple Somalia’s internationally-recognized government.

MA/PR