Three people were killed and eight others injured when a helicopter operated by the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) crashed in the Lower Shabelle region on Saturday, the mission said in a statement on Sunday.
The African Union Transitional Mission to Somalia said in a statement that the helicopter was carrying 11 passengers, including Somali Army soldiers, to train them on how to evacuate the wounded when the accident happened.
“Unfortunately, three of the eleven passengers on board have died. Eight injured police officers were taken to Mogadishu for urgent medical attention,” ATMIS said in the statement.
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There were no details on the victims, including their nationality, but it said an investigation had begun to determine the cause of the accident.
ATMIS supports the central government of Somalia in the fight against the Islamist rebel group Al-Shabaab.
The al-Shabaab group, an al-Qaeda ally, has been fighting for more than a decade to overthrow the government of Somalia and establish a government based on its strict interpretation of Islamic law.