A military chopper on night patrol in Lamu, Kenya, crashed on Monday night, killing all on board.
In a statement confirming the incident, the Kenya Defence Forces Strategic Communications Unit stated that the helicopter’s crew and other military members on board were part of an air surveillance squadron that was stepping up day and night patrols for the ongoing Operation Amani Boni.
The operation, which is being conducted in the counties of Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, and Kilifi, aims to locate and apprehend al-Shabaab militants who are thought to be hiding in the thick Boni Forest.
The national government started it in September 2015, less than a year after the Mpeketoni terrorist attack, which resulted in over 90 fatalities and the destruction of property worth millions of shillings on the evening of June 15, 2014.
“Last night, a Kenya Air Force Huey Helicopter crashed in Lamu County while conducting a night patrol. The crew and additional military members on board were engaged in air surveillance as part of the ongoing Operation Amani Boni. In a statement, Brigadier Kioko expressed condolences on behalf of the entire KDF fraternity and the crew’s families.
When questioned about the cause of the accident, Brigadier Kioko responded that a Board of Inquiry (BOI) had already been established and sent to the scene to determine the precise cause of the collision.
The bodies of those on board were transported to Nairobi on Tuesday morning after the helicopter crashed on Monday at around 7:30 p.m.
The team was acting on an intelligence tip-off and raided a hideout believed to be one of the terror group’s logistics camps, where militant IED teams were operating.
The Special Forces engaged in a fierce and protracted gunfight with the militants after entering the area and charging at them as they were hiding in the bushes.
Multiple weapons, including AK 47 rifles, magazines, Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, warheads, and various AK 47 ammunition, were taken into custody.
Prior to setting up the ambush and killing the two, the soldiers had received intelligence reports indicating that al-Shabaab militants had been seen in the general vicinity of Bodhei in Lamu County.
Bakari Yusuf said the KDF and the security team at large have done a great job restoring peace and stability in Lamu County and other counties bordering the Kenya-Somalia border.
“We need our soldiers to always be safe and alive. It’s unfortunate that we lost some people in the military helicopter crash that occurred last night. We say sorry to the families affected. The soldiers are our heroes in Lamu. They have made great efforts to stabilise the security of this place. May Allah (God) protect them in their course of duty,” said Yusuf.
The military chopper crash comes just three days after KDF soldiers undertaking Operation Amani Boni in Lamu’s Boni Forest killed two al-Shabaab militants in the Bodhei area within the expansive forest.
Tens of other terrorists escaped with multiple gunshot wounds during the night raid on two hideouts within Bodhei.
The Boni Forest operation has for the last eight years undergone various transformations, from Linda Boni, the Boni Enclave campaign, Operation Fagia Msitu, and now Operation Amani Boni (OAB), in efforts to stabilise Lamu and parts of Garissa, Tana River, and Kilifi counties, which border the expansive Boni Forest towards the Kenya-Somalia border.
The operation is made up of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), National Police Service (NPS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO).
However, KDF has been designated the lead agency.