Monday October 13, 2025
FILE - Aerial shot of Mogadishu
Mogadishu (HOL) — A senior Somali National Army officer was shot dead outside his home in Mogadishu’s Dharkenley district on Sunday night, marking the latest in a series of targeted assassinations against security officials in the capital.
The victim, identified as Colonel Moalim Omar Ali, 62, was killed near his residence in the Saeed Rooraaye neighbourhood, according to witnesses. Two armed men opened fire on the colonel before escaping the scene.
Security forces arrived shortly after the shooting and cordoned off the area to begin an investigation. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the killing.
No group has claimed responsibility, though such attacks are frequently blamed on al-Shabab, which continues to target government officials, military personnel, and civil servants in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia.
Colonel Omar, a retired army officer, was reportedly still active as a military adviser and maintained strong ties with army leadership.