KAMPALA, (Reuters) – A number of Ugandan military helicopters went missing in Kenyan airspace yesterday on their way to Somalia to reinforce African Union peacekeeping forces battling al Shabaab rebels, the Ugandan military said.
The military said a team of helicopters had left a base in the Ugandan city of Entebbe but that only one had landed in the Kenyan town of Wajir, where they were scheduled to refuel before flying on to Somalia.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) did not say how many helicopters were missing or how many people were on board. “The search is going on, we don’t know what exactly happened but we are investigating it and we will let you know when I get adequate information,” UPDF spokesman Felix Kulayigye told Reuters.
Ugandan troops form the backbone of the African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) in Somalia. The air force said on Aug.7 that it was deploying transport and combat helicopters to Somalia to beef up the force.
