Shortly after the Mi-24 hit the ground at Mogadishu’s airport, Abdirahim Ali, who lives nearby, saw “a huge explosion and smoke everywhere.” Five Ugandan soldiers were dead. Three others on board lived but were badly hurt.
The helicopter was flying for the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, known as AUSSOM, when it crashed on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. Eight people were aboard, and the aircraft was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force. Ugandan authorities said it was on “a routine combat escort mission.”
The pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived with serious injuries, including severe burns. Maj. Gen. Felix Kulaigye, director of defence public information for Uganda’s military, put it this way: “Unfortunately, five of our comrades on board perished in the crash.”
Blast at the airport
The Ugandan army said the aircraft, tail number AUO-015, came down about 200 meters east of the North Ramp at Mogadishu International Airport. One report put the time at roughly 7:30 a.m. local time. The impact set off munitions on board. Three civilians nearby were injured and buildings close to the site were damaged.
Omar Farah, an aviation officer, was among the first to reach the wreckage. He told The Associated Press he “saw the helicopter spinning and then it fell very fast.”
The injured, military and civilian alike, were taken to the AUSSOM Sector 1 Level II Hospital. Airport firefighters, United Nations personnel and AUSSOM explosive ordnance disposal specialists secured the site and began rescue and recovery work. A civil aviation official told Anadolu the fire was contained. Flights saw minor delays before normal operations resumed.
Investigation under way
Nothing has been said about what caused the crash. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigators were at work. Kulaigye said the army was “committed to uncovering the cause of this tragic incident through a thorough and professional investigation.” The names of the dead are being withheld until their next of kin are told.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen soldiers,” he added.
AUSSOM is helping Somali authorities fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes foreign troops in the country. Uganda and Kenya are among the countries that have contributed soldiers.
Sources
- Helicopter on African Union mission crashes in Somalia, killing 5 Ugandan soldiers
- Five UPDF soldiers killed in chopper crash in Somalia
- African Union peacekeeping helicopter crash at Somali airport kills 5: Ugandan military
