Killings of journalists in Somalia are not uncommon and are mostly blamed on Al Shabaab, the Islamist militant group fighting to topple the country's Western backed government and rule the country according to sharia law PHOTO: COURTESY

Gunmen killed a Somali radio journalist in the capital Mogadishu, an official told Reuters.

Killings of journalists in Somalia are not uncommon and are mostly blamed on Al Shabaab, the Islamist militant group fighting to topple the country's Western backed government and rule the country according to sharia law.

 "Unidentified men armed with pistols killed our colleague this evening," Radio Shabelle's station manager, Abukar Sheikh, told Reuters by phone about Abdiasis Ali Haji.

 Police Maj Mohamed Nur told Reuters he was killed by two men with pistols who fled before officers reached the scene. National Union of Somali Journalists condemned the killing.