A military helicopter from the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at the airport in the capital Mogadishu on Tuesday and was engulfed in flames.
The state-run News Agency reported that a fire broke out after the helicopter crashed at the Aden Adde International Airport, but it had been quickly contained by the emergency services. Video footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the airport.
The helicopter from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) was carrying eight personnel when it crashed during landing,adding that the fire had been contained.
“We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter,The smoke entirely covered the helicopter.”Farah Abdulle, who works at the airport explains.
The cause of the crash and casualty figures are unclear.
The helicopter had come down in the airport’s military section after flying in from the Balidogle airbase in the Lower Shabelle region.
AUSSOM has more than 11,000 personnel in Somalia to help the country’s military counter Islamist group al Shabaab.
It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties. An AUSSOM spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment.
The al Qaeda affiliate has been fighting for nearly two decades to topple Somalia’s internationally-recognised government and establish its own rule based on a strict interpretation of sharia law.
