Somaliland police say they have not yet arrested the man suspected of killing two young men in Hargeisa on Sunday night, but are hunting him down.
The youths who were killed, identified as Khadar Ibrahim Mohamed, 23, and Suldaan Ahmed Abdillaahi, 22, are being investigated, according to the Police Operations Command, Brigadier General Ibrahim Abdi Haji.
“He shot the two deceased on a bus they were on, with live bullets from a pistol, both of them hitting their heads. The forces are currently investigating. There are people who have been arrested and other leads are being followed,” said Brigadier General Ibrahim.
He also said the killing took place during the Isha’i prayers, while the mosques were open, and it was a premeditated murder, which has so far made it difficult to officially identify the killer.
“We promise the public that we will arrest the killer soon. We request that anyone with information about this matter contact the police,” added Commander Ibrahim.
Relatives of the murdered boys told the media that the killing may have been a revenge killing, in retaliation for the killing of a relative of one of the targeted boys. However, it is not clear who was behind the act.
Suldaan Ahmed Abdillaahi was killed while he was on a bus with his friend Khadar Ibrahim Mohamed after graduating from The Unity University in Hargeisa, when a masked man boarded the bus and opened fire on him.
Khadar died on the spot, while Suldaan died of his injuries on his way to the hospital. The killing was the most horrific in recent times in Hargeisa.
