A helicopter belonging to the United Nations mission in Somalia has been captured by al-Shabab after it landed in territory held by the armed group.
Several passengers were reportedly seized in Galmudug state on Wednesday by the al-Qaeda-linked group which has wreaked violence in the Horn of Africa for years.
The helicopter landed close to Gadoon village in the Galgaduud region due to a technical glitch, an internal UN memo seen by Al Jazeera stated. A UN official in Mogadishu also confirmed the incident to Al Jazeera.
According to the memo, there were nine passengers on the plane including military personnel and a third-party contractor. At least six of the passengers were reportedly seized by al-Shabab.
“All UN flights have been temporarily suspended in the vicinity until further notice,” the memo read.
