Somali finance ministry official killed in Mogadishu

Gunmen have assassinated an official of the Somali Ministry of Finance in the Waberi district of Benadir region this morning, according to local sources.

The killing took place in the Liberia neighborhood, and the deceased was identified as Ali Haji, while the perpetrators escaped.

The shooting took place at a coffee shop in Liberia Market, and with witnesses saying attackers were armed with pistols.

Ali Haji was a member of the tax department of the Ministry of Finance, and his body was taken away by security forces.

There was no immediate word from security officials or Waberi district administration on the incident.

The killings are part of a series of insecurity incidents in Mogadishu in recent days that have left the country’s elections in a state of disarray.

However, these this also indicates that al-Shabaab has increased its operations in Mogadishu, with a rise in attacks in the capital in recent weeks.