(10-01-24) MOGADISHU (Halqabsi News) — A United Nations helicopter has been captured by the militant group al-Shabab in Somalia, leading to the detention of at least six aid workers. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon when the helicopter, beset by a technical glitch, landed inadvertently in an area under the control of the armed faction, according to multiple local reports.
The aircraft, forced to land near Gadon village in the Galgaduud region, was carrying nine passengers, including military personnel and a third-party contractor. This information comes from a UN memo obtained by Al Jazeera and corroborated by a UN official in Mogadishu.
In a worrying development, six of the individuals aboard were reportedly taken by al-Shabab, while two others escaped and are currently at large. The UN has responded by temporarily suspending all flights in the vicinity, a precaution noted in the memo.
Details concerning the nationalities of those onboard the helicopter remain undisclosed, and the Somali government has not yet commented on the incident.
Halqabsi News
