conflict
UN helicopter lands in Somalia: reports of hostage taking
The flag of the United Nations: Eight people are said to have been on board the UN helicopter. photo
© Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA/dpa
A UN helicopter lands in an Islamist area. What is unclear is: why? Initial reports don’t bode well.
“Initial reports indicate that Al-Shabaab fighters have taken some hostages and confiscated the material on board the helicopter,” a police spokesman from the Hiran region told the German Press Agency. There are said to have been eight people on board the helicopter, including six foreigners. The helicopter was loaded with medical supplies and military equipment, it said.
Upon request, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric confirmed an incident with a helicopter rented by the UN in Somalia. Efforts to resolve the situation were underway. In the interest of the safety of everyone on board, he will not say anything more at this time.
Al-Shabaab has been active in Somalia for more than 15 years and continues to control parts of the Horn of Africa country despite a counteroffensive. The Islamists rule there with a strict interpretation of Sharia law with punishments such as executions, amputations and flogging. The group kills civilians through bomb attacks and has officials, journalists and critics deliberately murdered.