A Ugandan Air Force helicopter crashed in Nyamisingiri village in the country’s west, claiming the lives of three people.
The Mil Mi-28, a Russian-made attack helicopter, was en route to the Democratic Republic of Congo to combat the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) extremist group when the incident occurred.
Two crew members perished in the accident, as well as a villager who was at the crash site.
The helicopter was estimated to have cost approximately $18 million.
Uganda People’s Defence Force spokesperson Brigadier Felix Kulayigye said the mountainous region’s adverse weather is suspected to be the cause of the crash.
“The crew died heroes as they participated in the struggle to pacify our western frontier of the dreadful ADF,” he added.
The incident in Nyamisingiri Village is the latest in several helicopter crashes in recent years attributed to bad weather by Ugandan officials.
In 2022, a similar event in eastern Congo killed 22 soldiers.
Fighting the ADF
Uganda’s air and ground deployments in the region are focused largely on neutralizing the ADF.
Most of its members have been forced back into eastern Congo following a Ugandan military assault.
The IS-linked jihadists have claimed responsibility for thousands of murders, as well as kidnappings and lootings. Their most recent attack in Uganda saw 10 civilians burned to death in a southwestern town.