Ukraine’s foreign affairs ministry has confirmed that four of its citizens were among those captured by al-Qaida-linked extremists in Somalia. The incident occurred after a United Nations (UN) helicopter, contracted by a Ukrainian private company for transport, made an emergency landing in territory controlled by militants earlier this week.
The helicopter, en route to Wisil town for a medical evacuation, experienced engine failure, leading to its forced landing in a village in Galmadug. Al-Shabab militants attacked the helicopter, killing one person and abducting the remaining passengers. Alongside the Ukrainians, five other foreigners were on board, according to Oleh Nikolenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian foreign affairs ministry.
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The passengers included medical professionals and soldiers, and the helicopter belonged to a Ukrainian private company operating under a UN contract. Different sources provide varying figures for the number of occupants, ranging from seven to nine.
The wreckage was located approximately 310 km from the Chennai coast. The Galmudug minister of internal security, Mohamed Abdi Aden Gaboobe, explained that the helicopter landed in Xindheere village due to engine failure. The extremists subsequently burned the helicopter after confiscating what they deemed important.
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Al-Shabab, al-Qaida’s East Africa affiliate, has been blamed for the attack, although the group has not claimed responsibility. In a separate incident, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a mortar attack near the Aden Adde International Airport area, where the UN compound is located. The attack resulted in the death of a member of the UN Guard Unit and inflicted infrastructure damage.
Al-Shabab has intensified attacks on Somali military bases, especially after losing control of some rural territory during a military offensive. The UN mission in Somalia provides humanitarian assistance in a country facing periodic drought and possessing one of the world’s least developed health systems. The UN mission also supports a multinational African Union peacekeeping force in the process of withdrawing from the country.
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Despite the ongoing security challenges, the Somali government welcomed the UN Security Council’s recent decision to lift the arms embargo imposed on the country over three decades ago, emphasizing its potential contribution to modernizing Somali forces.
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