MOGADISHU, Somalia

At least three people were killed when a helicopter carrying officers of the Somali army crashed, the African Union said in a statement.

“Regrettably, three of the eleven passengers on board lost their lives. Eight officers have been evacuated to Mogadishu for urgent medical attention,” said a statement issued by African Union ambassador to Somalia Mohamed El-Amine.

The AU peacekeeping mission helicopter was flying for a training mission when it crashed in the Baledogle airfield in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on Saturday.

An Investigation has been launched to “determine the cause of the crash."

Baledogle is a military airfield that houses US troops in Somalia and Somali National Army’s elite Danad commandos.