Somali journo stabbed to death

2010-09-01 12:36

Mogadishu - A Somali journalist working for a private radio station was stabbed to death by unidentified attackers in the war-torn country's central Galkayo region, colleagues and witnesses said on Wednesday.

Abdulahi Omar Gedi, who worked with Daljir Radio, was attacked when he left work late on Tuesday and later died of his injuries in hospital, his colleague Abdulkadir Mohamed said.

"Unidentified men attacked him with knives and killed him. We don't know why he was killed as Abdulahi was one of the decent journalists operating in the region. He died at the hospital," Mohamed said.

A witness to the attack, Jama Moalim Ali, said his attackers "stabbed him several times until he fell unconscious and then they ran away". He said it was unclear how many were involved as it was dark at the time.

Somalia, ravaged by nearly 20 years of a bloody civil war, is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists.

Last week, another journalist was killed by a stray bullet during heavy clashes between Islamist rebels and African Union-backed government forces in the capital Mogadishu.

- SAPA