Ugandan attack helicopters 'disappear' in Kenya

Rwanda air force helicopters overfly the Amahoro National Stadium as the country marked its 50th anniversary independence day on July 1. Attack helicopters belonging to the Ugandan army have gone missing while enroute to the Somalia port city of Kismayu to support a planned assault on Al-Shabaab militants.
By ALEX ATUHAIRE Monday, August 13 2012

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Three Ugandan attack helicopters went missing Sunday as they flew to Somalia to shore up a final assault on the port city of Kismayu, the nerve centre of Al-Shabaab, the extremist militant group.

Reports from military sources said the helicopters just disappeared from the grid, while a fourth one crash-landed in Somalia.

News agency Reuters said the helicopters had left Entebbe in Uganda but only one landed in the northern Kenyan town of Wajir where they were scheduled to refuel.

It was unclear how many people were on board the aircraft.

Reuters quoted Ugandan army spokesman Felix Kulayigye saying that a search was on for the aircraft.

Kenya army spokesman Cyrus Oguna said that he did not have information about the missing attack helicopters.

"I am aware that Uganda was supposed to be taking helicopters to Mogadishu, but as to when that was supposed to happen, I do not know,” said Col Oguna.

The Ugandan army forms the core of the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Somalia, Amisom.

Amisom is preparing a major assault on Kismayu that sources say is only days away in what will be a decisive week for Somalia.

The country, without a central government since 1991, is scheduled to wind up its transitional government by August 20.

Kismayu in southern Somalia is reputed to be the financial and logistical hub for the Al-Qaeda-allied Al-Shabaab, which in July 2010 struck in the Uganda capital of Kampala, killing more than 70 people.