Somalia works to rescue UN helicopter passengers – believed to have been kidnapped by al-Shabaab men

Her government Somalia working to rescue UN helicopter passengers believed to have been kidnapped by its members jihadist organization al-Shabaab, a spokesman said today, although military officials pointed out that access to the area where they have been moved is difficult.

A helicopter chartered by UN conducted business for the patient transport when due to a technical problem he performed emergency landing near the village of Hidhere in central Somalia, an area controlled by the rebels. Two Somalis and some foreigners were on board the helicopter and many were kidnapped by al-Shabaab fighters, two army officers told Reuters. It is not clear how many have been kidnapped or if any have managed to escape.

“The government has been making efforts to rescue the crew since yesterday, when the accident occurred, and efforts are continuing,” said Somalia's Information Minister Daoud Awais. He gave no further details.

However, Colonel Abdullahi Isse, who is based in the town of Andado about 100 kilometers from Hindere, told Reuters that troops in the area were not planning a rescue operation. “No forces have gone to save them. I don't believe they will escape,” he added. “The area has been controlled by al-Shabaab for more than ten years and even the residents are pro-al-Shabaab,” he said.

Maj. Hasan Ali, who is stationed in the town of Bellenduene from where the helicopter took off, said a ground rescue operation was not feasible. “I don't know if they will be sent with the help of foreigners special forces with planes. This may be the only possible way for them to be saved, but so far that has not happened,” he explained.

In a brief statement yesterday, the UN pointed out that “response efforts” to the incident are underway. A spokesman for the UN mission in Somalia had no comment today. Al-Shabaab, which is close to al-Qaeda, has been waging an armed struggle against the Somali government since 2006 with the aim of overthrowing it and ruling the country based on its own very strict version of Islam.

The organization has thousands of fighters and most of its strongholds are in southern and central Somalia. The government's operation from 2022 has allowed the recapture of some lands in the central part of the country, but this campaign faced many problems last year.

Source: News Beast

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