Aviation News – July 2, 2025 – A Ugandan military helicopter carrying eight people crashed on the grounds of Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia, according to a statement from a senior aviation official.
The helicopter went down in the military section of the airport after flying from Balidogle Airbase, located roughly 90 kilometers (56 miles) northwest of the capital in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.
Witnesses described hearing an explosion followed by thick smoke and flames. “We heard the blast and saw smoke and flames over a helicopter. The smoke entirely covered the helicopter,” said Farah Abdulle, an airport staff member, in a statement to Reuters.
A fire broke out following the crash but was swiftly contained by emergency response teams. Video footage captured at the scene showed smoke billowing over the airport.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority’s director, Ahmed Maalim, confirmed to the BBC that an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the crash. Casualty details have not yet been released.
The helicopter belonged to Ugandan forces, who are part of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)—an 11,000-strong regional force supporting the Somali government’s ongoing fight against al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgent group active in the region for over two decades.
The crash caused a brief delay to a Turkish Airlines flight, but domestic air traffic continued without significant interruption.
