(MENAFN) A military helicopter operating under the African Union’s peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed on Wednesday morning at Mogadishu’s international airport, killing five personnel, according to official reports.

The Mi-24 aircraft, operated by Uganda’s People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), was conducting a routine combat escort mission when it went down at around 7:30 a.m. local time. Military spokesperson Felix Kulaigye confirmed that eight individuals were on board, including six crew members.

Three of the crew – the pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer – survived the crash but suffered serious injuries and burns. In addition, three civilians were wounded due to munitions detonating during the crash, which also caused damage to nearby buildings. All injured individuals are currently receiving medical care.

Kulaigye stated that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident. It remains unclear whether all those killed were Ugandan nationals, although Ugandan troops form a key part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which comprises over 11,000 personnel.

AUSSOM supports Somali government efforts to combat the al-Shabaab insurgency, which has destabilized the country for more than 20 years. Other troop-contributing countries include Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed deep condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and reaffirmed the AU’s dedication to promoting peace and security in Somalia.

The incident follows a string of helicopter crashes involving AU forces in Somalia. In June, a Burundian-manned helicopter made a forced landing in Middle Shabelle, with al-Shabaab claiming it was shot down—though AU officials cited technical failure. Other crashes occurred in September 2023, February 2023, and earlier missions, with varying casualties reported.

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