Quran teacher killed in suspected clan revenge in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A renowned Quran teacher was among five people killed over the weekend following inter-clan clashes in central Somalia, in an incident that has been widely condemned across the country, with authorities commencing investigations as they pursue culprits.

According to multiple sources, the teacher was killed by unknown assailants on Saturday night in what is believed to be a retaliatory attack at Haji Ali village within Adale District of Middle Shabelle region, where the country is also facing Al-Shabaab resurgence.

Those killed have been identified as Moalim Mukhtar Moalim Mohamud Yusuf, Omar Ahmed Yusuf, Mukhtar Ahmadey Moalim Mohamud, Mohamed Mohamud Ali Faradar, and Abukar Mohamed Mohamud Ali Faradar, authorities revealed.

At the time of the attack, witnesses said, the Quran teacher and his students were returning to their homes after several sessions with a sick person. The militia ambushed them on their way home, leaving five of them dead, witnesses added.

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the former transitional president of Somalia, is among prominent leaders who have condemned the incident and called for swift actions from the authorities to arrest those who engineered the attack on innocent people.

Inter-clan fights are common in the Federal Republic of Somalia which has been fighting instability for the last three decades. In fact, it has taken quite a long for the country to stabilize due to clan differences during the formation of governments.

Somalia is currently engaged in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants who control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia. The militants have lost substantive grounds with the government now planning to take over full security responsibilities by December 2024.

GAROWE ONLINE