This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
On May 4, 2020, a light aircraft carrying aid supplies for the fight against Covid-19 was shot down in Somalia's Bardale area, Baidoa, killing all six on board.
The plane, registered in Kenya, was supporting humanitarian operations during the pandemic period, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"The incident occurred under unclear circumstances," the Ministry stated, adding that the aircraft had been and was supporting humanitarian operations during this Covid-19 pandemic period.
Kenya has demanded swift investigations into the incident, warning that it could harm humanitarian aid deliveries in Somalia.
"Kenyan and other humanitarian aircraft operating in the region are also urged to enhance extra precaution in light of the unclear circumstances surrounding the incident," the Ministry said.
Local security officials told Reuters that a rocket-propelled grenade brought down the plane while it was landing in the town in the Bay region.
Al Qaeda-linked insurgency group Al Shabaab has a presence in the area where the plane came down, although the town of Bardale and its airfield is secured by Somali forces and Ethiopian troops, Reuters reported.
