A helicopter of the U.N.-African peacekeeping mission in Darfur was shot at during a routine mission and forced to return to its airfield, a spokesman for the force said Monday, according to AP. The incident came as special U.S. envoy to Sudan, Richard Williamson, was visiting a different part of the arid, wartorn region, some 300 kilometers away. UNAMID spokesman Noureddine Mezni said the helicopter came under fire half an hour into its mission, damaging the radio system and the rear of the aircraft, according to an initial inspection. There were no casualties and the helicopter made it back to El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur province. Mezni said it was not immediately clear who attacked the helicopter.
