Official: Killed Somali Lawmaker Was Shot by Soldiers
Somalia’s government says a parliament member killed in Mogadishu Saturday was shot by mistake by government soldiers.
The Somali defense ministry says soldiers opened fire on the car of lawmaker Yusuf Dirir because they thought it might be on its way to a suicide bombing.
A ministry spokesman says the soldiers got suspicious because Dirir’s driver had blocked the soldiers’ vehicle from passing and ignored signals to stop the car.
The spokesman, Mohamed Yusuf Osman, says the soldiers’ car had been speeding and traveling recklessly. Dirir’s driver was also killed and another lawmaker was wounded in the attack.
The government says that once the investigation is over, all those involved in the shooting will be brought to justice.
Somali militant group al-Shabab on Saturday had claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has killed several other lawmakers since the start of 2014.
