MOGADISHU: An African Union helicopter operated by the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) contingent crash-landed just before touching down on Wednesday at the Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu, while enroute from the Baledogle military airbase.

Somali authorities announced that three people were killed.

The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said in a statement earlier that “search and rescue operations are currently underway to retrieve the remaining crew and passengers.”

The helicopter crash-landed at Mogadishu's international airport just before touching down, AUSSOM said.

Meanwhile, aviation authorities have commenced investigations to establish the cause of the accident