A United Nations helicopter with eight passengers onboard has been captured by terror group al-Shabaab after making an emergency landing in an area controlled by the group.
UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric disclosed this on Wednesday, according to CNN.
Explaining how the helicopter was captured, the UN said it had made an emergency landing due to a mechanical issue in Somalia’s Galmudug region, which is controlled by the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group, according to the state-run Somali National News Agency, SONNA.
According to SONNA, the passengers are foreigners, and a rescue is underway.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia, UNSOM, said the helicopter “was conducting an air medical evacuation” and that more information would be released when it becomes available.
The development comes weeks after Maalim Ayman, a senior leader of the al-Shabaab militant group operating in Somalia and Kenya, was killed on December 17 by a joint military operation between the Somali and US forces.
