Members of the terrorist group AlShabaab attacked a United Nations (UN) helicopter that had to make an emergency landing in Somalia. According to authorities, the crime occurred on Wednesday (10) when the plane landed in the groupcontrolled village of Xindheere after an engine failure.
Galmudug State Internal Security Minister Mohamed Abdi Aden Gaboobe said the helicopter was carrying seven people, six of them foreigners and one a national. During the attack, one of the passengers tried to escape and was eventually shot. Another five have been kidnapped and one is missing.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed that “there was an incident in Galmudug involving a UNmandated helicopter.” He did not provide details of the identities of the passengers on the plane carrying out a medical evacuation, but said relief efforts were underway. “We are fully engaged with the issue and trying to resolve it,” he said.
The United Nations has been providing humanitarian aid in Somalia for years. This is because the African country is plagued by internal conflicts involving terrorist groups and natural disasters such as severe droughts that impact food crops. Currently, around half of the country's 17 million inhabitants need humanitarian assistance.
In recent months, the alQaedaaffiliated group AlShabaab has increased its attacks on military bases in Somalia. The actions came in response to the offensive by army soldiers who, under the command of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, continue to recapture areas previously controlled by the terrorist group.
SBT News