The Ugandan military experienced a crash involving a helicopter carrying eight personnel at Somalia's main international airport. According to reports from aviation officials, the aircraft caught fire upon crashing, but emergency services swiftly contained the blaze. Eyewitnesses described hearing a blast and seeing thick smoke rising from the helicopter, which was later enveloped in flames. The head of the Somali Civil Aviation Authority, Ahmed Maalim, indicated that the helicopter had flown in from Balidogle airbase in Lower Shabelle before the accident occurred in the airport's military section. Details regarding the precise cause of the crash, as well as any casualties, have yet to be confirmed. Ugandan troops are currently part of an African Union force engaged in combating the violent al-Shabaab insurgency in Somalia. An investigation has already been initiated to determine the factors that led to the crash.