African Union peacekeeping helicopter crashes at Mogadishu Airport, casualties

A helicopter operated by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSOM) crashed on Wednesday while attempting to land at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, officials have confirmed.

According to a civil aviation official in Mogadishu, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to media restrictions, the helicopter was carrying eight personnel at the time of the incident.

The aircraft had departed from Balidoogle Airfield — a military base jointly used by U.S. and Somali special forces — before crashing during its approach to the runway in Mogadishu.

The official confirmed that there were casualties resulting from the crash but declined to give specific figures, saying the situation was still under investigation. “Rescue workers and firefighters responded swiftly, managing to contain the fire from the wreckage,” the source stated.

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Eyewitnesses in the area reported seeing plumes of thick black smoke rising from the vicinity of the airport following the crash.

Halima Ahmed, a resident of the nearby Wabari district, told Anadolu via telephone that she saw heavy smoke billowing from the airport shortly after the incident occurred.

The crash led to a temporary disruption of operations at the Aden Adde International Airport, with several commercial flights reportedly delayed. However, airport authorities confirmed that normal flight operations have since resumed.

The African Union and Somali government authorities have not yet released an official statement on the cause of the crash or the identities of those onboard.

Investigations are expected to be launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.

AUSOM, which was formerly known as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), has been supporting Somali government forces in stabilizing the country amid ongoing insurgency and threats from terrorist groups like al-Shabaab.

Helicopters and other military aircraft play a crucial role in logistics and troop mobility across volatile regions of Somalia.

This latest crash underscores the risks faced by peacekeeping and military personnel operating in conflict zones and may raise renewed concerns over aviation safety in the region.