A Russian helicopter belonging to UTair that was participating in UN humanitarian operations in Somalia was attacked at the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, according to a statement issued by the Russian Embassy in Djibouti, which is also responsible for Somalia.
The incident occurred on January 23, according to the Embassy, but it was only made public on Sunday.
The Embassy said the helicopter was “insignificantly damaged” and that there were no casualties due to the incident.
“The Russian helicopter of UTair-Helicopter services, participating in the air transport support of the UN humanitarian mission in Somalia, was shelled in the international airport of Mogadishu. The helicopter was insignificantly damaged,” the Embassy said in a statement.
“There are no casualties as a result of the incident, and the Russian pilots continue to work as normal,” the Embassy added.
The Embassy further added that the Al-Shabab group, the notorious extremist organization, was responsible for the attack and that an investigation was currently underway. Al-Shabab has not yet issued a statement about the attack.
There is no known incident or attack on the Aden Adde airport in Mogadishu on January 23. However, the Federal government may have covered it up.
The attack on the Russian helicopter comes amidst a series of recent violent incidents in Somalia, including mortar attacks by Al-Shabab on January 24 in neighborhoods near the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu.
Seven mortar shells fell in the vicinity of the Presidential Palace, the SYL monument, the Ministry of Information, and a primary school in Hamar Weyne district, injuring two students and a street vendor.
On January 22nd, Al-Shabab also launched a deadly attack on the headquarters of the Banadir Regional Administration, killing at least six people and injuring several others. The attack began with a suicide bomb that caused a massive blast that destroyed a building near the office complex, followed by gunfire and a four-hour siege.
Despite the recent progress made by the Somali National Army and local clan militias in reclaiming territory in the center of the country, with the support of US air strikes and an African Union force, Al-Shabab continues to retaliate and strike with deadly force against civilians and military targets.
