Al-Shabaab did not down AU helicopter, says Somali defense minister 

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, Somalia’s defence minister, has dismissed claims that Al-Shabaab militants downed the African Union (AU) helicopter which had gone to pick Burundian troops last week, insisting that the group does not have the capacity.

The helicopter had suffered a technical malfunction and was not brought down by the militants, he said, dismissing the militants' claims as 'baseless propaganda'. The crew members, he noted, were safely evacuated.

“All crew members were safely evacuated, and the situation was contained quickly. There was no enemy engagement involved,” he said.

The militants circulated images purportedly of the helicopter, but initially, the government of Somalia and the African Union clarified that the helicopter had mechanical problems before it made an emergency landing for repairs.

Traditionally, the group has used a propaganda strategy to advance its agenda on the battlefield, but on many occasions, it has failed to prove its claims. The helicopter was rescuing Burundian troops from the flooded station in central Somalia.

Fiqi said the Somali National Army, local fighters, and the international partners have made significant gains in central Somalia and the southern region,s particularly in Hirshabelle, Jubbaland, and South West State, where the group is dominant.

“Our forces, along with community fighters like those in Hiiraan, are pushing forward to liberate areas under al Shabaab control. The army is providing medical care to the wounded, and the government is supplying weapons and logistical support,” Fiqi said.

He downplayed recent criticism, suggesting the security situation in Hiiraan was deteriorating, insisting the region is actively being stabilized by joint forces. Local fighters have worked closely with the government troops to flush out the militants.

“The people of Hiiraan are not alone in this fight. They are supported by a national effort, with full backing from the Somali government,” he said in support of the forces at the frontlines across the Hiiraan region.

GAROWE ONLINE