A military helicopter operated by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) crashed and caught fire early Wednesday at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, killing at least three people and injuring several others.

The aircraft, originally part of the Ugandan Air Force, was en route from Baledogle Airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight personnel on board when it crash-landed around 7:30 a.m. local time, according to Somali and AU officials.

Three survivors, suffering from burns, were transported to a local hospital. The fate of the remaining five passengers remains unknown, as search and rescue operations continue at the crash site.

The impact of the crash triggered onboard munitions to explode, injuring three civilians nearby, according to Ugandan army spokesperson Felix Kulaigye.

Eyewitnesses described a harrowing scene. “I saw the helicopter spinning and then it fell very fast,” said aviation officer Omar Farah, one of the first responders. Another witness, Abdirahim Ali, reported a “huge explosion and smoke everywhere”.

The crash caused temporary delays at the airport, but flight operations have since resumed, according to Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority.

The incident raises fresh concerns about operational safety within AUSSOM, which currently fields over 11,000 troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya.

The mission supports Somali forces in their ongoing battle against al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgency that has plagued the country for nearly two decades.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. While mechanical failure has not been ruled out, the AU has yet to release a full incident report.

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