Overview

• A Ugandan Air Force helicopter serving under the AUSSOM mission went down at Aden Adde International Airport on July 2 while landing after departing Baledogle Airfield with eight personnel.
• Officials have confirmed five soldiers died in the crash and multiple crew members were hospitalized with injuries, updating earlier reports of three fatalities.
• Eyewitnesses described the aircraft spinning before impact and erupting into flames, producing massive plumes of smoke over the runway.
• The Somali Civil Aviation Authority opened a formal investigation to determine the cause and to review flight safety measures for peacekeeping operations.
• After diverting international services—including a Turkish Airlines flight to Nairobi—the runway was cleared and normal operations resumed under stricter safety controls.