US military grounds aircraft in Djibouti after multiple accidents
At the request of the Djiboutian government, the US military has halted its air operations in the East African country, a critical location in the fight against terrorism, following two accidents involving military aircraft, three defense officials told CNN.
On Tuesday, a US Marine Corps Harrier jet crashed at the country's international airport. The pilot was able to eject but is being treated at a medical facility. Later the same day, a Marine Corps CH-53 helicopter sustained "minor damage" while landing in Arta Beach. While the helicopter's crew was uninjured, the officials told CNN that the military is investigating reports that two civilians were injured by debris from the helicopter's rotor wash.
Following those accidents, the Djiboutian government sent the US a diplomatic notice requesting that all flying operations be halted, the officials said.
The US decision to halt air operations has also led the military to cancel Alligator Dagger, the military exercise that both aircraft were participating in.
There are about 4,000 US personnel in Djibouti, based at Camp Lemmonnier, and US forces there support military operations against the terrorist group al Shabaab in neighboring Somalia. The grounding of aircraft could affect both counterterrorism operations in Somalia, such as drone strikes, and support to Camp Lemmonnier the officials said.
Two of the officials told CNN that the US military and the State Department are working with the government of Djibouti to get approval for flights on a case-by-case basis to ensure that support to both Somalia operations and Camp Lemmonnier continue.
The US military places a lot of importance on its ability to base forces in Djibouti given its critically strategic location near countries like Somalia and Yemen.
But US officials have recently expressed concern about the growing influence of China in Djibouti, noting its recent establishment of a military base there as well as close Chinese economic links with the country.
