An African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) helicopter belonging to the Ugandan army crashed early on Wednesday at the international airport in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, killing five of eight personnel on board, the army said.

The incident occurred around 200 metres east of the North Ramp at Mogadishu International Airport, as the crew was on a routine combat escort mission, a Ugandan army statement 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 rescue workers and firefighters arrived at the scene and contained the fire of the crashed copter.

Flights delayed

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

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

The Ugandan army said the explosion of the munitions on board caused by the crash injured three civilians and damaged nearby structures, while the seriously injured pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer were evacuated along with the civilians to AUSSOM Sector 1 Level II Hospital for treatment.

It added that a joint emergency team of airport and UN firefighters, along with AUSSOM explosive ordnance disposal personnel, was aiding rescue efforts, while an official investigation into the crash is underway.