Ugandan military helicopter crashes in Mogadishu, Somalia

2025, July 8

Somalia

Tuesday, July 8, 2025 On Wednesday, July 2, a Ugandan military helicopter crashed at Aden Adde International Airport in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu. According to Ugandan military spokesperson Major General Felix Kulayigye, eight people were on board. Five passengers perished in the crash. The two helicopter pilots and a flight engineer survived the crash with "serious injuries and severe burns," as reported by the BBC.

The helicopter caught fire after crashing, though the fire was quickly brought under control by emergency personnel, according to Somalia's state-run news agency. Kulayigye stated that the crash would be investigated.

According to the BBC, Ugandan forces are part of the African Union mission in Somalia, which has been fighting the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaeda. The helicopter crashed during what Kulayigye described as a "routine combat escort mission."

The crash delayed the departure of a Turkish Airlines passenger plane, while domestic flights continued operating normally, according to the BBC.