A military aircraft crash-landed at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu on Tuesday, sending plumes of thick black smoke across the capital and forcing a Turkish Airlines passenger flight to abort its landing.
By Jarryd Sinovich
Sources say the downed aircraft is believed to be a Mi-24 attack helicopter attached to the African Union Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), with up to eight personnel reportedly on board when it crashed and burst into flames.
There has been no official confirmation yet on casualties or the cause of the crash. Emergency services raced to the site as airport operations were temporarily disrupted — underlining the operational risks faced by both military and civilian flights in Somalia’s fragile security environment.
The Turkish Airlines flight, originally bound for Mogadishu, was safely diverted to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a precaution.
The Mi-24 remains a critical asset for AU forces conducting counter-insurgency operations against al-Shabaab militants in Somalia. As investigations continue, the incident highlights the dangerous conditions under which regional and international forces continue to operate to stabilise the Horn of Africa.
