Helicopter on African Union mission crashes in Somalia, killing 5 Ugandan soldiers
Mogadishu (Somalia) (AP): Five Ugandan soldiers were killed when a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia crashed Wednesday at an airport in the capital, Mogadishu, according to Ugandan authorities.
The Mi-24 helicopter was arriving from an airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board at the time of the crash. It originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission.
Uganda's military said in a statement that the helicopter was on “a routine combat escort mission," and the pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer survived the crash with serious injuries and burns.
Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations are underway.
Aviation officer Omar Farah, who was among the first to reach the crash site, told The Associated Press that he “saw the helicopter spinning and then it fell very fast.”
Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident, said he saw "a huge explosion and smoke everywhere.”
Minor delays were reported at the Aden Adde airport, but flights and other operations have since resumed.
The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight al-Shabab, a rebel group that opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation.
The mission includes troops from countries including Uganda and Kenya.
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Dalit youngster in Raichur denied entry into temple: Video viral
Police, priest, Dalit leaders ‘unaware of matter’
Raichur: The priest of the Ambabhavani Temple in Athkur village has been accused of stopping Dalit youngsters from entering the temple for a ritual related the Navaratri festival, although related parties, including the priest and Dalit leaders of the village, have denied knowledge about the incident.
A video of the youngsters, belonging to the Madiga community, who wanted to wear the ritual garlands for the festive period, being denied entry into the temple and the priest handing them the garlands keeping them outside the threshold has gone viral on social media platforms.
Yapaladinni Police officers, however, have said no police complaint about the matter has been filed so far. In addition, Dalit leaders in Athkur have said no such incident has occurred in the village, but the police officers are conducting an inquiry since youngsters have alleged that they were denied entry into the temple.
The temple priest has also refuted the charges against him, clarifying that action will be taken if a complaint is filed.
