Title: Egyptians and Ukrainians Among Passengers of Helicopter Held in Somalia

Sources from security revealed to Reuters today, Friday, that at least three Ukrainians, along with citizens from Egypt, Uganda, and Somalia, were aboard a United Nations helicopter that was captured by Al-Shabaab militants in central Somalia earlier this week. The UN-contracted helicopter had nine passengers and was conducting a medical evacuation when it encountered a technical fault that forced it to make an emergency landing near the village of Hendera, an area controlled by Al-Shabaab. The security sources requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter. One of the security sources and another individual familiar with the issue indicated that four Ukrainians were on board the helicopter as crew members. The Somali government stated yesterday, Thursday, that it is working to rescue the hostages, but military officials warned that such attempts would be difficult in an area that has been under the group’s control for over a decade, with links to Al-Qaeda. An internal UN memo obtained by Reuters mentioned that there is a report indicating that one passenger was killed, while Al-Shabaab held six passengers hostage. The memo added that two individuals escaped, but their whereabouts are unknown. The Ukrainian government has not commented on the matter. Representatives from the Ugandan military stated they have no information. The Egyptian government has yet to be reached for comment. In a separate incident, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia reported on Friday that a UN guard was killed in a mortar attack suspected to have been carried out by Al-Shabaab near Mogadishu International Airport. The mission stated that the attack occurred Thursday evening when several mortar shells landed inside the UN compound at the airport. There has been no contact with Al-Shabaab for comment.