SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Ethiopian military jet crashes in Somalia

Four people have been killed in the crash of an Ethiopian military cargo plane at Mogadishu airport; the transport was allegedly carrying weapons.

Ethiopian military jet crashes in Somalia
A cargo plane carrying weapons has crash-landed on a runway in Somalia's capital.

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Skip to article content

An Ethiopian Air Force cargo plane has crash-landed at Mogadishu's seaside airport, killing four people on board, the African Union says.

Two crew members were rescued by emergency personnel and are being treated in the African Union military hospital near the base, said Mahamat Saleh Annadif, an African Union representative to Somalia. He said the runway wasn't damaged and airport operations are expected to resume soon.

The 8am crash on Friday sent dark plumes of smoke over Mogadishu. An airport official who insisted on anonymity said the plane was full of weapons.

The weapons most likely would have been destined for African Union or Somali troops, who continue to battle al-Qaeda-linked militants from al-Shabab. The militants have shot at planes in the past but not in recent years.

Air traffic has increased significantly at the airport as Mogadishu continues on a slow recovery from decades of warfare. Two major international carriers - Turkish Airlines and Air Uganda - operate direct flights into Mogadishu.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world