Somalia MP shot dead by gunmen

A member of the new Somali parliament was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Saturday,September 23. According to the state radio in Mogadishu, Mustaf Haji Mohamed, a member of the new legislature of Somalia, was murdered as he left a mosque in Mogadishu's Waberi district. The assassinated MP is in the new 275-members parliament. Police arrived at the scene and started searching for the perpetrators of the killing who escaped after carrying out the attack. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the killing.But the armed group of Al-Shabaab has vowed to target the members of the new legislature
when it was formed last month.The Al-Shabaab movement is under pressure from allied Somali government forces and African Union peacekeeping troops who are poised to capture the Southern port city of Kismayo, the last major city under the al Qaida-affiliated Al-Shabaab group's control.

The killing of the lawmaker comes only two days after twin suicide attack against a restaurant in Mogadishu frequented by government civil servants and journalists. The attack left nearly 20 people dead and 30 others injured.  More than 173,000 pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia by the end of Friday to perform Hajj, Saudi News Agency reported Sunday.

Meanwhile more than 109,000 pilgrims arrived by air, while 54,000 by sea and 10,000 by land, the news agency quoted Director General of Passports Department Salem bin Mohammed
Al-Bilaihid as saying. Hajj Minister Bandar bin Mohammad Al-Hajar revealed last week that Saudi Arabia is expecting 1.8 million pilgrims from abroad this season. "We have
well studied our plans which would be implemented within organized schedule (to deal with Hajj season)," the minister said.  (Xinhua)