An African Express Airways Embraer EMB-120 plane carrying Covid-19 coronavirus medical supplies crashed and burst into flames near the city of Baidoa, Somalia, just before it was about to land at the Bardale airport. All six people on the aircraft, two Kenyans and four Somali nationals, were killed in the crash. The incident happened at about 16:20 local time. As of now, the cause of the crash is still under inspection by Somalian and Kenyan security forces and investigators, though many including some government officials speculate the plane was shot down potentially by militants.
According to local media, the al-Shabab militant group has a presence in the region, but Baidoa and the Bardale airport are both under Somali government control, backed by Ethiopian troops present as part of the African Union force in the nation. Additionally, media outlets and aviation authorities say the aircraft was "chartered by an NGO".
