The helicopter crash site | Photo: TRT Global
A helicopter belonging to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), has crashed at the international airport in Mogadishu, the Somalian capital.
The crash happened Wednesday morning, after the aircraft departed Balidoogle airfield where US and Somali special forces are based, some 90 kilometres from Mogadishu.
State-run Somali National News Agency (SONNA) said the AUSSOM helicopter had eight personnel aboard.
It is unclear if there are casualties but reports noted that a fire erupted after the chopper crashed, leading to a delay of several flights.
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SONNA added that the fire has been contained and authorities are assessing the situation.
“Civil Aviation says flight operations remain normal,” the news agency added.
The AUSSOM or the AU has yet to publicly react to the incident.
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The AUSSOM is a successor mission to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and came into effect on January 1.
It is aimed at assisting the Somalian national army in combating Al-Shabaab, the Islamist militant group, and affiliates linked to ISIL/Daesh.
One of its mandates is to transfer full security responsibilities to Somali security forces by December 2029.
AUSSOM maintains over 11,000 personnel in Somalia to achieve this goal.
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The insurgents have waged a nearly 20-year violent campaign to overthrow the Somalian government and impose their version of strict Islamic law.
