Al-Shabaab Escalates Targeted Killings of Business Owners in Mogadishu

by: Horn Observer Contributor | 29 October 2024 00:04

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Al-Shabaab Escalates Targeted Killings of Business Owners in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) — Al-Shabaab has intensified its campaign of assassinations against the business community in Mogadishu, killing three more businessmen in the city's Daaru Salam district on Monday.

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Militants shot dead three more businessmen on Monday in the Mogadishu's Daaru Salam district.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER) — Al-Shabaab has intensified its campaign of assassinations against the business community in Mogadishu, killing three more businessmen in the city's Daaru Salam district on Monday.

Witnesses reported that militants entered a local shop near Ahmed Gurey School and fatally shot three shopkeepers before fleeing the scene.

One resident described the attack, saying, "The Al-Shabaab men were armed with pistols. They shot the three businessmen while they were inside their shop.”

The Somali police have not yet commented on the incident.

In a separate incident, two journalists from a local television station were detained by national intelligence officials while attempting to report on the attack, sparking further concerns over press freedom in Somalia.

Last Wednesday, Al-Shabaab assassinated two young businessmen in the Hodan district of Mogadishu, while two others were injured.

These incidents mark eight targeted killings in the past two weeks, as the militant group focuses on business owners defying its ban on CCTV cameras, which the government mandates for security reasons.

Authorities have been enforcing the installation of surveillance cameras in business premises, threatening non-compliant owners with fines or arrest, while Al-Shabaab has warned of severe reprisals against those who cooperate.

Beyond Mogadishu, Al-Shabaab-linked attacks have spread to nearby towns. In Afgoye, 30 kilometers from the capital, suspected militants shot and killed a businessman on Monday evening.

Later, in Jowhar, roughly 90 kilometers north of Mogadishu, a police officer was assassinated shortly after he left the mosque where he conducted the evening prayers, according to local sources.

The surge in violence reflects Al-Shabaab’s intensified campaign against local businesses and government mandates, adding to the atmosphere of fear within Mogadishu’s business community.