Kenyan military helicopter crashes in Boni Forest, kills 8

A Kenyan military helicopter crashed in Boni Forest near the border with Somalia on Tuesday, killing eight people.

The cause of the crash is unknown, but it occurred in an area where Al-Shabab, an Al-Qaeda-linked group, has been carrying out attacks against Kenyans.

The Kenyan Department of Defense (DoD) has launched an investigation into the crash and has not released any information on the number of casualties. However, security officials speaking on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that all military personnel and crew on board the helicopter died.

This is the second military helicopter crash in Kenya this year, raising concerns about the airworthiness of the country’s aircraft. Kenyan troops are also deployed in Somalia as part of an African Union mission to fight Al-Shabab.

While the DoD has expressed condolences to the crew’s families, it has refrained from specifying the exact number of casualties.

Kenya has been facing increased attacks from Al-Shabab in recent months, particularly in Boni Forest. The rebels are under pressure from a Somali military offensive launched last year after the election of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president of Somalia in May.