15 September 2008 – A UNAMID helicopter in Darfur was able to land safely yesterday after being shot at in the third incident of its kind in the war-wracked region of western Sudan.

The helicopter was on its way to Shangil Tobaya, where UNAMID has a base camp, from the North Darfur town of Tawila when shots were fired about 37 kilometres before it could reach the destination.

The helicopter, which was carrying 12 passengers and four crew members, was able to land safely following the shooting. However, one of its fuel tanks was found to be leaking.

The helicopter later left for El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state and the headquarters for UNAMID, after repairs were made. The passengers were left behind for security reasons.

(UN News Service)