Poor weather hinders search for Uganda's missing helicopters

Poor weather in the Mt Kenya region hampered search and rescue efforts by Kenya's military for the three Ugandan attack helicopters that went missing on Sunday.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) dispatched three helicopters for the rescue mission on Monday morning as details emerged that one of the four attack helicopters had been found in the Mt Kenya region.

Military sources said all the seven crew of the MI-23 attack helicopter were safe.

Sources further said the rescuers are yet to locate the whereabouts of the other three helicopters which had seven- member crew each.

The helicopters went missing while enroute to Laikipia base in Kenya after leaving Kisumu airport.

There were conflicting reports about the territory where the helicopters went off radar.

Some of the reports said it happened within the Kenyan airspace, while other reports said it was inside Somalia.

The Kenya Defence Forces spokesperson, Col Cyrus Oguna, said he had not received reports of 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 Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) told Reuters: “The search is going on, we don't know what exactly happened but we are investigating it and we will let you know when I get adequate information.”

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