UN suspends air services in North East over attack on helicopter

 

The United Nations Air Services have been suspended in the troubled North East.

This followed an attack on one of its helicopters in Damasak, Borno State, by terrorist group.

The helicopter had planned to pick some aid workers in Damasak to Maiduguri on Friday when it aborted its plan as it was shot at by some members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram.

This compelled the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Mr. Edward Kallon, to suspend all air expedition in the area for a week.

A source at one of the UN agencies in Maiduguri said that all aircraft and helicopters had been grounded in Maiduguri.

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He said they had been asked not to undertake any expedition out of the town.

He said the attacked helicopter had two holes and could not land in Damasak to pick the people it had gone to pick as it had to immediately turn back to Maiduguri.

The Head, Public Information Unit, United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) in Nigeria, Ms. Eve Sabbagh, confirmed the attack.

She said a statement would soon be released to the press.