Ethiopian military plane crashes in Mogadishu (VIDEO)
Ethiopia claims to pull out its troops from Somalia, but we’ll see. Here, the first African Union contingent from Djibouti arrive at Mogadishu’s Adan Ade international airport on December 20, 2011. Somali government officials reported the first contingent consisted of 200 heavily equipped troops from Djibouti with more to follow. The troops, who marched out of the airplane in combat uniform and carrying rifles, were welcomed at Mogadishu airport by top Somali military officials and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) leaders.
An Ethiopian military transport plane crash-landed at Somalia's Mogadishu airport on Friday, bursting into flames and causing the death of at least four crew members.
The plane had been carrying weapons and ammunition bound for the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) peace-keeping mission, which is fighting against Islamist Al Shabaab militants.
It burst into flames upon landing at Aden Adde International Airport in the Somali capital, according to a statement by AMISOM.
Two crew members survived the crash and have been taken to hospital, the statement said.
The AMISOM Facebook page carried images of the crash, showing firefighters working to put out the burning wreck of the Ethiopian aircraft.
It's not yet clear what caused the fire.
Airport workers reported that the ammunition aboard the plane exploded, producing a powerful blaze that firefighting crews were initially unable to tackle, reported Al Jazeera.
According to the Associated Press, the weapons aboard the cargo plane were likely bound for African Union or Somali troops, who have been fighting Al-Qaida linked militants in the region for years.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.