Ahmad 
A Somali army official said al-Shabaab militants seized a helicopter carrying two Somali men and several foreigners after it made an emergency landing in an area controlled by the group.
Major Hassan Ali told Reuters the plane malfunctioned after taking off from the central Somali city of Beledweyne before landing near the village of Handhir, which borders Galgdud province.
“It was carrying two Somali men and several foreigners as well as medical supplies and was supposed to transport wounded soldiers from Galgdud province,” he said.
A U.N. employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the plane belonged to the U.N. Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and that its crew included five foreigners.
Two sources familiar with the United Nations told Reuters the plane was carrying nine passengers.
Al-Shabaab, which has links to al Qaeda, has waged an insurgency against the Somali government since 2006 in a bid to impose its rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic law.
Although the government has driven militants out of several areas since the middle of the last decade, the group controls territory in southern and central Somalia, and continues to target civilians and launch attacks on military installations.