Fri, Sep 15, 2006
Gunmen Open Fire On Landing Aircraft
UN aid operations were
suspended around Gedo, in southern Somalia, after an aid aircraft
took ground fire while attempting to land at Garbaharey near the
Keynan border southwest of Mogadishu.
According to Spero News, local militia, using small arms,
ambushed the aircraft -- type unknown, but assumed to be a Cessna
-- during its approach to a small dirt strip used mainly for
humanitarian flights. Local sources say there were no casualties,
but not whether the aircraft was damaged.
Somalia is in the midst of a severe drought. Local warlords and
their militias control access to the civil population in many areas
of Somalia. That means aid organizations are forced to make deals
with the warlords in return for security guarantees.
Many areas of Somalia are inaccessible by ground vehicles
necessitating the use of aircraft to transport critical medical and
other perishable supplies. UN and other aid organizations have been
operating in Somalia for decades, but efforts have stepped up
recently because of the drought.
With no effective government outside the city of Baidoa for 15
years, outlying districts are administered through a system of
alliances between sometimes rival clans.
This incident may have sparked from a dispute between local
tribal leaders and the district administrator. Armed groups have
been extorting illegal taxes from landing and departing aircraft
for years. Tribal leaders have been demanding increased security at
the airport and there is speculation they may have staged this
attack to prove their point.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]