MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – In a continuing wave of violence against Mogadishu’s business community, three more businessmen were assassinated on Monday in the city’s Daaru Salam district.
According to local witnesses, Al-Shabaab militants arrived at a small shop near Ahmed Gurey School, where they shot and killed the three shopkeepers before fleeing the scene.
One witness, who requested anonymity, described the attack, stating, “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. However, two journalists from a local television station who arrived to cover the story were reportedly detained by national intelligence officers, further raising concerns over press freedom.
This tragic event follows last week’s killings in the Hodan district, where two young businessmen were shot dead and two others injured in a similar attack.
Over the past two weeks, eight assassinations of business owners have been recorded, with Al-Shabaab specifically targeting those who install CCTV cameras on their premises – a government requirement intended to bolster security in commercial areas.
Authorities have mandated surveillance cameras in business districts, warning owners of fines or arrest for non-compliance. However, Al-Shabaab has issued counter-warnings, threatening deadly retaliation against those who follow the government’s security orders.
Elsewhere, Al-Shabaab-linked attacks extended to towns outside the capital. On Monday evening, suspected militants shot and killed a businessman in Afgoye, about 30 kilometers from Mogadishu.
Later, in Jowhar, approximately 90 kilometers north, a military officer was assassinated shortly after evening prayers, according to local residents.
The recent surge in targeted violence reflects Al-Shabaab’s ongoing campaign against local businesses and individuals cooperating with government security mandates, creating a climate of fear among Mogadishu’s business community.