Two foreign journalists, a Canadian woman and an Australian man, and a local interpreter, were Saturday kidnapped by unknown gunmen on the southern outskirts of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, a hotel official said.
Ajos Mohamed Nor of Shamo Hotel in the south of Mogadishu, where the journalists stayed, told Xinhua the two foreigners were on their way to the internally displaced people camps on the road between Mogadishu and Afgooye, 30 km northwest of the Somali capital.
"As they drove towards the camps their vehicle came under attack by gunmen who overpowered the security personnel accompanying the journalists," he said.
Nor, who could only identify the journalists as Amanda and Nigel, said that he did not know where the journalists and their Somali interpreter were taken, adding the hotel administration was concerned for their safety.
He said the journalists were freelancers who came to cover the lives of the thousands of the IDPs on the outskirts of Mogadishu who fled the ongoing violence in the restive coastal city.
It is not so far clear which group the gunmen belong to and it is unusual for armed groups in Somalia to claim responsibility for abductions of foreigners, which have recently been common in south and central Somalia.
A number of other foreigners are still being held hostage in the country by gunmen who demand ransom for their release.
Four foreign hostages, two Italian aid workers and two German tourists, were released this month by their captors after hefty ransom was reportedly paid.
Somali gunmen usually kidnap foreigners in Somalia but usually do not harm their hostages in expectation of hefty ransom payouts.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article