Somali official killed in Mogadishu, Al-Shabaab claims responsibility

MOGADISHU (Xinhua) — A Somali official was killed Tuesday by unidentified gunmen in the capital Mogadishu.

Mohamud Abdi Addow Dhabarey, the country’s deputy head of the immigration, was driving at KM4 junction in Mogadishu when gunmen who drove next to his car and started shooting. The official was with two other people, including his body guard.

Dhabarey, who had been the head of the airport immigration for 7 years, was promoted to the deputy head of the immigration last year and remained his office in the airport where he headed the immigration and security of the airport.

The government didn’t comment on the killing yet, but Al- Shabaab claimed the responsibility of the assassination in a statement published on its website.

“Al-Shabaab mobile forces killed the head of Mogadishu’s airport immigration who was passing at KM4 junction, the execution forces escaped the place safely,” said the statement.

Also on the day, Somali MP Mohamed Omar Dalha survived from an assassination attempt, which, however, claimed the lives of his body guard and driver.

The security situation of Mogadishu is in shaking for the last two weeks after Somali leaders, the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and PM Abdiweli went into internal conflict that paralyzed the government’s daily activity and put the security in jeopardy.