Mogadishu: In a bid to rescue hostages captured by al Shabaab militants, the Somali government is actively involved in operations to retrieve passengers from a UN-contracted helicopter, which was forced to make an emergency landing near Hindhere village in central Somalia due to a technical glitch during an air medical evacuation.
The helicopter carried two Somali men and several foreigners, some of whom were taken hostage by the militants, according to military officers. The exact number of captives and any potential escapes remain unclear.
Information Minister Daud Aweis stated, "The government has been undertaking efforts to rescue the crew since yesterday when the accident happened, and efforts still go on," without providing further details. However, Colonel Abdullahi Isse, stationed in Adado, expressed skepticism about the feasibility of a rescue mission in an area controlled by al Shabaab for over a decade.
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Major Hassan Ali, based in Beledweyne, acknowledged the challenges of a land-based operation, suggesting that airborne commandos might be the only viable option, though such efforts have not materialized thus far.
The United Nations confirmed ongoing "response efforts" on Wednesday, while a UN mission spokesperson was unavailable for comment on Thursday.
Al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate, has been engaged in an insurgency against the Somali government since 2006, aspiring to establish its rule based on a strict interpretation of Islam. Despite government offensives reclaiming some central Somalia territory since 2022, setbacks were experienced last year.
Late on Wednesday, the UN World Food Programme clarified that the helicopter did not belong to them or the UN Humanitarian Air Service, with none of their personnel on board. As a precaution, all WFP flights in the area have been temporarily suspended.
—Input from Agencies