Radio journalist gunned down in central city

Reporters Without Borders has learned that Mahad Salad Adan, the editor-in-chief of radio Voice of Hiran, was murdered this afternoon in Beledweyn, the capital of the central region of Hiran. His death comes a day after a suicide bombing in Mogadishu that left many dead and wounded, including 11 journalists. “Somalia is still under the shock of yesterday’s tragedy in Mogadishu’s national theatre and now it is again the victim of a barbaric act,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Adan is the fourth journalist to be murdered in Somalia since the start of the year. Our thoughts are with his family and colleagues and the country’s entire media community, which keeps on sustaining losses.” Aged 22, Adan was also a reporter for Mogadishu-based Radio Shabelle. He was gunned down near his home in Beledweyn’s Sigalow district. Transitional Federal Government forces said he was murdered by a member of the Islamist Al-Shabaab militia who was in turn shot dead by a government soldier as he was trying to escape. Radio Shabelle said that, shortly before his death, Adan has covered a dispute between Al-Shabaab and another islamist militia called Ahlu Sunah Waljama.