Three of the eight personnel on board survived, authorities report

A military helicopter deployed under an African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Somalia has crashed at the international airport in the capital, Mogadishu, killing five personnel on board, authorities have reported.

The Mi-24 helicopter, operated by the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF), was carrying eight people - including six crew members - and was on a routine combat escort mission when it crashed at 07:30 local time on Wednesday, according to military spokesman Felix Kulaigye.

"The pilot, co-pilot, and flight engineer survived the crash but sustained serious injuries and severe burns," Kulaigye said in a statement. Three civilians who were injured as a result of a detonation of onboard munitions, which caused significant damage to nearby structures, are currently receiving treatment alongside the surviving crew members, he added.

An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the crash, Kulaigye said.

The statement did not clarify whether the personnel were all Ugandan troops, who are serving with the more than 11,000-strong African Union peacekeeping force, known as AUSSOM. The mission supports the Somali government in its fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group, which has waged a brutal insurgency in the East African country for over two decades. Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya also contribute troops to the mission.

AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has expressed his "profound sorrow at the tragic loss" of the five peacekeepers and extended his "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims.

He also declared the continental body's commitment to "ensuring that the sacrifice of these brave peacekeepers continues to advance the cause of peace, stability, and security in Somalia."

The crash adds to a series of helicopter incidents involving African Union forces in Somalia. Early last month, a helicopter manned by Burundian troops came down during an evacuation flight in the Middle Shabelle region. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, saying it had shot down the aircraft, but AUSSOM reported that the helicopter was forced to land after it "experienced a technical malfunction." All crew members survived. Last September, another helicopter carrying peacekeepers, including Ugandan troops, went down near Mogadishu, with no casualties reported. In February 2023, an AU helicopter crashed during a training exercise in the Lower Shabelle region, killing three people and injuring eight others.