Al-Shebab claims drive-by shooting of four Somali officials in Mogadishu

In Somalia four civil servants were killed in a drive-by shooting on Monday. The deputy director of Mogadishu airport was among the dead.

Troops from the African force Amisom at the scene of an attack on Mogadishu airport in December AFP

The attack, a drive-by shooting targeting four government officials, occurred at the busy KM4 junction south of the Somali capital.

A police source in the area told RFI by telephone that the attack occurred late on Monday afternoon when suspected Islamist fighters, equipped with automatic rifles, blocked the men’s way and opened fire on their vehicle.

All four officials reportedly died instantly and the culprits vanished minutes after the shooting.

Among the dead was the deputy director of Mogadishu airport, Mohamed Kediye Jimale.

The Al-Shebab armed group has claimed responsibility for Monday's attack, saying their elite commandos targeted “apostate” officials.

Two months ago a similar drive-by shooting killed the head of Somalia’s immigration authority in the same area.

Although Al-Shebab has been pushed out of most of the major towns it once controlled, hardly a day goes without targeted killings and explosions that still remain a potent threat.