The life of a Ugandan man was tragically cut short when a military helicopter crashed into his house, resulting in his immediate death.

The crash which occurred on Tuesday, January 3, 2024, also claimed the lives of the two crew members who were on board.

The military helicopter, which had been engaged in the fight against Islamic extremists, the Allied Democratic Forces in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), went down in Ntoroko District near the border of the two countries.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) attributed the crash to bad weather, with UPDF spokesperson Brig Felix Kulayigye adding that the helicopter was en route to the DRC.

In a statement, Kulayigye mentioned that the helicopter was flying to Congo, where Uganda’s military is actively combatting the Allied Democratic Forces, an extremist group allied with the Islamic State organization.

“The crew died as heroes, participating in the struggle to pacify our western frontier from the dreadful ADF,” stated Kulayigye.

Uganda has experienced several military helicopter crashes in recent years, with the UPDF consistently attributing them to adverse weather conditions.

In September 2022, two Ugandan helicopters, engaged in combating Islamist extremists in the DRC, crashed in the neighboring country, resulting in the loss of 22 Ugandan soldiers’ lives.

Kenyan soldiers killed in Lamu helicopter crash

On Monday, September 18, 2023, a Kenya Air Force Huey helicopter crashed while on a night patrol in Lamu County claiming the lives of several Kenyan soldiers.

The crew and other military personnel onboard were part of an air surveillance unit intensifying day and night patrols for the ongoing ‘Operation Amani Boni’.

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“The leadership and entire KDF fraternity condoles with the families of the crew,” KDF says in a statement as investigations to establish the cause of the crash commenced.