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The helicopter was arriving from Balli-doogle Airfield in the
Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board. At least three
people have been confirmed killed, said Artan Mohamed, who heads
the immigration office at Mogadishu's Aden Abdulle airport.
The helicopter originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but
was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission, he
said.
Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil
Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations are
underway to determine the full extent of casualties and damage.
“Once the situation is under control and the fire is
extinguished by the firefighters, we will know more,” he said.
“The firefighting team is still working to contain the fire —
most of it has been put out, but there is still smoke, which we
hope will be cleared soon.”
Aviation officer Omar Farah, who was among the first to reach
the wreckage, told the AP the he “saw the helicopter spinning
and then it fell very fast.”
There was "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere,” said
Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident who also witnessed the crash.
Minor delays were reported at the airport, but flights and other
operations have since resumed.
The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is
helping Somali authorities to fight the extremist rebels of al-Shabab,
which opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of
Africa nation.
The mission includes troops from countries such as Uganda and
Kenya.
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