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Italian nun shot dead in Somalia | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Gunmen have shot dead an elderly Italian nun and her bodyguard in the Somali capital Mogadishu. | |
The attackers shot the nun three times in the back at a children's hospital in the south of the city, before fleeing the scene. | |
It is unclear if the shooting is connected with strong criticism by a radical Somali cleric about the Pope's recent comments on Islam. | |
The nun, who has not been named, is believed to be in her seventies. | The nun, who has not been named, is believed to be in her seventies. |
The nun was taken into surgery in the Austrian-funded SOS Hospital, in Huriwa district, but she died from her injuries. | |
A fluent Somali speaker, the nun was one of the longest-serving foreign members of the Catholic Church in Somalia, a former Italian colony. | |
A Vatican spokesman said the killing was "a horrible act" which he hoped would remain isolated. | |
Yusuf Mohamed Siad, security chief for the Union of Islamic courts (UIC) which controls Mogadishu, said two people had been arrested. | |
Muslim anger | |
Pope Benedict XVI inflamed many Muslim communities last week after making comments during a speech in Bavaria. | |
He quoted a 14th Century Christian emperor as saying the Prophet Muhammad brought the world only evil and inhuman things. | |
The Pope has since apologised in person, saying his remarks were misunderstood and did not express in any way his personal opinion. | |
On Friday, hardline cleric Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Malin told worshippers at his mosque to hunt down and kill whoever offended the Prophet Mohammed. | |
There has been no effective central government in Somalia since 1991, and although the UIC is credited with bringing some stability to Mogadishu, correspondents say the city is far too dangerous for all but the bravest aid workers to operate in. | There has been no effective central government in Somalia since 1991, and although the UIC is credited with bringing some stability to Mogadishu, correspondents say the city is far too dangerous for all but the bravest aid workers to operate in. |