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Gunmen kill Somali radio director | Gunmen kill Somali radio director |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Gunmen in Somalia have killed the director of influential Radio Shabelle. | Gunmen in Somalia have killed the director of influential Radio Shabelle. |
Moqtar Mohamed Hirabe was shot several times in the chest and head, one of his colleagues - who was injured in the attack in Mogadishu - said. | Moqtar Mohamed Hirabe was shot several times in the chest and head, one of his colleagues - who was injured in the attack in Mogadishu - said. |
The colleague, Ahmed Tajir, remains stable in hospital. Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. | |
The attack came amid uncertainty over the fate of Islamist opposition leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys. | |
A pro-government militia claimed on Saturday that Mr Aweys had been killed - or seriously injured - during fierce battles for the town of Wabho. | |
A spokesman for his militia said he was still alive. And AFP news agency later said it had spoken to Mr Aweys who said he would make a media appearance on Monday. | |
The United States says Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys is a terrorist with links to al-Qaeda. | |
In April he returned to Somalia from exile and vowed to overthrow the government and impose a stricter version of Islamic law. | |
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys has vowed to bring down the government | |
Fighting between the opposition and pro government forces has been intense - close to 100,000 people have had to flee their homes over the past month. | |
More than 120 people are reported to have died since Friday. | |
Three civilians were killed early on Sunday in what appeared to be a failed attempt to bomb a police vehicle. | |
Somalia has not had a functioning national government for 18 years. | Somalia has not had a functioning national government for 18 years. |
Journalists working for Radio Shabelle have often come under attack since the independent station began broadcasting in 2003. | Journalists working for Radio Shabelle have often come under attack since the independent station began broadcasting in 2003. |
Hirabe, 48, is said to be its third journalist to be killed this year. | Hirabe, 48, is said to be its third journalist to be killed this year. |
Grave desecration | |
Some reports suggest he may have been killed by members of Mr Aweys' militia, angered at the report that their leader had been killed - or injured. | |
The latest spate of fighting began after the Sufi Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama sect pledged to defend President Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed at a meeting of moderate Islamic leaders. | |
A hardline Islamist alliance controls much of southern and central Somalia. | |
Correspondents say the Sufi sect has been angered recently by the desecration of the graves of revered Sufi leaders by the al-Shabab group which follows the strict Saudi Arabian-inspired Wahabi branch of Islam. | |
A spokesman for al-Shabab, which is accused of links to al-Qaeda, said its forces were in control of Webho - but this was denied by Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama. | |
The town has changed hands several times in recent weeks. | |
President Ahmed is a moderate Islamist, who was installed in January after a UN-brokered peace deal. |