8 dead as Kenyan military helicopter crashes near Somalia

A Kenyan military helicopter has crashed near the country’s border with Somalia, killing all eight people on board, military officials in the East African country said on Tuesday morning.

According to the Kenyan Department of Defense, the crash occurred in the county of Lamu in coastal Kenya as the Kenyan defense forces operate in the area to help “deter al-Qaida-linked extremists from the al-Shahab group based across the border in Somalia.”

Read also: 22 killed as two Ugandan military helicopters crash in Congo

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash but the Department said the Air Force helicopter crashed while on night patrol, adding that a board of inquiry had been sent to the scene.

A defence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said all military personnel and crew on board the helicopter died in the crash.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now