UN Helicopter & Passengers Seized by al-Shabab
At least three Ukrainians, along with people from Egypt, Uganda, and Somalia, were on board a United Nations helicopter that was hijacked by Somali terrorist group al-Shabab earlier this week, two security sources confirmed on Friday.
The helicopter, which was contracted by the UN, was carrying nine passengers and was on a medical evacuation mission when it suffered a technical malfunction that forced it to make an emergency landing near the village of Hindheer, which is controlled by al-Shabab.
The security sources asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. One of the security sources and another person familiar with the case said that four Ukrainians were on board the helicopter as part of its crew.
The Somali government said on Thursday that it is working to rescue the hostages, but army officers warned that such attempts would be difficult in an area that has been under the control of the terrorist group for more than a decade.
A UN internal memo said that there was one passenger who was reportedly killed, while six passengers were being held hostage by al-Shabab. The memo added that two people escaped, and their whereabouts are unknown.
Kyiv has not commented on the matter. Ugandan army representatives said they have no information.
In a separate incident, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia said on Friday that a UN peacekeeper was killed in a mortar attack that is believed to have been carried out by al-Shabab near Mogadishu International Airport. The mission said the attack took place on Thursday evening when several mortar shells landed inside the area where the UN compound is located at the airport.
Al-Shabab controls large swaths of territory in southern and central Somalia since it launched an insurgency against the government in 2006.
