Ugandan Choppers: All four now found
A fleet of the Ugandan attack helicopters which were flagged off at Entebbe Military Airbase last week. PHOTO / MARTIN SSEBUYIRA
By ALEX B. ATUHAIRE & RISDEL KASASIRA
Posted Monday, August 13 2012 at 12:59
Posted Monday, August 13 2012 at 12:59
NAIROBI
The Ugandan military has said it can account for all of its four attack helicopters that went missing on Sunday while flying on Kenyan airspace on their way to Somalia.
All the 28-crew members of the four helicopters are safe.
The four helicopters were headed to Somalia to shore up the final attack on the port city of Kismayu. Only one helicopter landed safely at the Kenyan base in Wajir. One crash landed on Mt. Kenya, while two crash-landed in Garissa.
The Kenyan and Ugandan military launched a joint rescue operation on Monday morning, which is said to have been affected by the bad weather around the Mt. Kenya region. (READ: Poor weather hinders search for Uganda's missing helicopters)
Ugandan military spokesperson Col. Felix Kulayigye confirmed to reporters, waiting for an address from Ugandan Defence minister Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, that all the crew on the MI-24 and the MI-23 attack helicopters are safe.
Eastern PPO Marcus Ochola confirmed earlier on Monday that the rescue team had sighted the helicopter that crash-landed on Mt. Kenya but had yet to reach the site.
“One of the helicopters has been sighted on top of Mt. Kenya and there are survivors,” said Mr Ochola.
The search team comprised of officers from the Kenya Airforce, Kenya Army, Kenya Police, KWS and the Kenya Forest Service.
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The search had been extended to Ukasi in Mwingi, Masinga, Laikipia and Kora.
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