KAMPALA, Uganda, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- An official with the Kenyan Department of Defense said inclement weather was interfering with the search for Ugandan attack helicopters near Somalia.
Ugandan, Kenyan and other African military forces were searching for two missing Mi-24 attack helicopters. They were part of a mission en route to support African forces fighting Somali militant group al-Shabaab.
Bogita Ongeri, a spokesman for the Kenyan Defense Department, said bad weather was interfering with search-and-rescue operations, the BBC reports.
Uganda has been on high alert since al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for two attacks July 11, 2010, in Kampala that killed more than 70 people during public viewing parties for the World Cup final.
The BBC, however, didn't offer any suggestions as to what may have led to the disappearance of the two helicopters.
African Union forces, including Ugandan troops, are supporting the transitional government in Somalia as it looks to extend its authority beyond Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab, which pledged allegiance to al-Qaida, controls parts of the country.
There hasn't been a formal central government in Somalia since the 1990s. The mandate for the interim administration ends next week.
