A Russian helicopter involved in the humanitarian mission was fired upon in the capital of Somalia

At the international airport of the capital of Somalia, Mogadishu, a Russian helicopter of UTair-Helicopter Services was fired upon, reported “RIA Novosti” with reference to the statement of the Russian Embassy in Djibouti.

The publication clarifies that the incident occurred on January 23, 2023. The helicopter participated in the air transport support of the UN humanitarian mission in Somalia. As a result of the shelling, there were no casualties – the aircraft received minor damage, and the pilots continue their work as usual.

The diplomatic mission, citing preliminary data, said that the Al-Shabaab terrorist group could be behind the incident. An investigation is underway.

As the publication clarifies, the group may be associated with al-Qaeda (recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia), which hinders the humanitarian mission of the UN.

October 30, 2022 Reuters referring to the statement of the President of Somalia reportedthat in Mogadishu, explosions near the building of the Ministry of Education killed at least 100 people and injured 300 more. Car bombs exploded outside the ministry building. The second explosion thundered after ambulances arrived at the scene, and people approached the explosion site to help the victims. President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud blamed the attack on the Islamist group Al-Shabaab.

The attack, according to Reuters, took place at the site of the largest explosion in Somalia, which killed more than 500 people in 2017. On 14 October, a truck loaded with explosives exploded in Mogadishu. Law enforcement officials also blamed the Al-Shabaab group for the incident.