The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) is outraged by the continued targeting of journalists, following the attack on Bar-Kulan Radio journalists who was seriously wounded in Mogadishu’s Hamarjajab neighborhood.
Two armed men shot and seriously wounded Mohamed Shariif of Bar-Kulan
Radio, a UN Funded radio, at hamarjajab district minutes after he left the office Horn Cable television and was heading home on Friday evening around 7:30pm local time. The attackers fired the journalist more than 10 bullets but fortunately two bullets hit him on the chest below heart and penetrated to the back and another from the back and froze at the stomach. The attackers fled the area immediately, according to witnesses journalists.
Two journalists helped rush the wounded journalist to Madina Hospital, where he is going under surgery due to internal bleeding.
“He was fired more than 10 bullets but luckily one bullet hit him from the back side and another hit from front near the heart and penetrated to the backside and due to internal bleeding the doctors are performing him surgery.” Sahro Abdullahi Isse, a female journalist from S24 Television who also helped the journalist told NUSOJ, “His pancreas was removed in the operation.”
It was not immediately clear the reason behind the attack and no group claimed the responsibility so far.
“We condemn these dreadful attacks against our colleague in the attackers remain unpunished.” Mohamed Ibrahim, NUSOJ Secretary General said, “We call to the Somali government undertake immediate and impartial investigations into the incident.”
“We call to the end of these heinous crimes against the journalists and the killers and criminals who continue to assassinate the journalists and the media workers must not be let alone.” Mr. Ibrahim added.
Mohamed Sharif is the second time he received wounds. On April 4, 2012 he was slightly wounded and was among a dozen journalists wounded at the Theatre blast, some of them very serious condition in Mogadishu
Six journalists have been killed in Somalia in five months making a deadly place for the journalists to operate.
Photo caption: The Journalist pictured in Madina Hospital in April following the suicide blast. Photo Credit: NUSOJ