Hiiraan Online
Sunday, May 08, 2016
GALKAYO (HOL) – Unidentified gunmen have shot dead a well-known Somali businessman in the central Somali town of Galkayo, police said on Saturday night.
Omar Abdalle, the local manager for Somtel, a Somali telecommunication firm was shot dead outside a mosque in the northern part of town.
The attackers instantly escaped after the attack which highlights challenges facing local authorities in their efforts to secure the city.
Security officials said that three people were arrested in connection with the murder of Mr. Abdalla who died on the way to the town’s local hospital.
Witnesses said that the attackers armed with pistols shot the business man in the chest and head.
The motive behind the killing remains unclear, and no group has immediately claimed the responsibility for the killing which sent shock waves across the business community in the town.
Attacks on business people are rare in the horn of Africa nation despite regular attacks against government workers and foreigners in the country.
Galkayo is divided into two zones, where the northern portion forms part of Puntland state, while its southern part is governed by the Galmudug administration.