Media: Al-Shabaab seizes UN-contracted helicopter in central Somalia

A United Nations-contracted helicopter made an emergency landing in Hiindhere, a town under Al-Shabaab control in Somalia’s Galgadud region, on September 29, Mogadishu-based Kulmiye Radio reported.

According to preliminary information, the aircraft experienced a technical malfunction while en route from Baladweyne in the Hiran region to Wisil in Mudug. It was reportedly seized by the militant group along with its crew and cargo, Somali Guardian writes. 

Neither the United Nations, the Somali federal government, nor Al-Shabaab have issued an official statement regarding the incident. Details about the number of people on board and the nature of the cargo remain unclear.

The incident echoes a similar case in January 2024, when another UN-chartered aircraft crash-landed in the same area and fell into militant hands. That plane had been carrying medical supplies, and there have been no updates on the fate of its crew and passengers since.

By Sabina Mammadli