Tragedy struck overnight in Kenya’s coastal county of Lamu as a military helicopter crashed while on patrol, resulting in the loss of all crew members on board. The ill-fated aircraft went down within the expansive Boni forest, an area that straddles the border with Somalia and has been the site of deadly attacks orchestrated by the Somali militant group al-Shabab.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has refrained from disclosing the precise number of individuals on board the helicopter when the accident occurred.
However, several media outlets have reported that a minimum of eight lives were tragically lost in the incident.
The KDF released a statement confirming that the crew and other military personnel on board the helicopter were part of an air surveillance squadron engaged in intensive day and night patrols and surveillance as part of the ongoing “Operation Amani Boni.”
To shed light on the circumstances surrounding the crash, a board of inquiry has been dispatched to the crash site within the Boni forest.
This investigative team will diligently work to determine the cause of the tragic accident, offering much-needed clarity and insight into this deeply unfortunate incident.
Questions about the accident’s cause and the ongoing security challenges in the border region persist as the nation mourns the death of its servicemen.
By xamse
September 19, 2023
