African Union military helicopter crashes in Somali capital, fire contained VIDEO

A military helicopter belonging to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed at Mogadishu’s airport, engulfed in flames.

The aircraft, part of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), was carrying eight personnel at the time of the crash, which occurred during the landing phase, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The ensuing fire was quickly contained, but it remains unclear whether there were any casualties. Efforts to reach an AUSSOM spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful.

Update: The crash involved more than 5 people, and the plane was a military type. A malfunction occurred, and eventually, an explosion happened inside the plane as it landed at Aden Adde Airport. pic.twitter.com/jMqurQuZNY

— Said Yusuf Warsame (@SaidYWarsame) July 2, 2025

Eyewitness Farah Abdulle, an airport worker, described the incident, stating, “We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter. The smoke entirely covered the helicopter.”

AUSSOM, which has a deployment of over 11,000 personnel in Somalia, plays a pivotal role in assisting the Somali military in its ongoing campaign against the Islamist insurgent group al Shabaab. The al Qaeda-affiliated militant group has waged a nearly two-decade-long insurgency aimed at toppling Somalia’s internationally recognized government and imposing its interpretation of sharia law.

#BREAKINGNEWS: A military aircraft has crashed at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu and was subsequently engulfed in flames.

According to senior Somali police officials, the crash resulted in casualties, including both fatalities and injuries, though the exact number… pic.twitter.com/iqMQL8AW6X

— Baidoa Online (@BaidoaOnline) July 2, 2025

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation as authorities work to assess the situation and ensure the safety of personnel and airport operations.

By Vafa Guliyeva