MOGADISHU - The director of Somaliweyn radio, Abukar Hassan, was killed by marked gunmen in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital, police officer confirmed on Tuesday.

The police officer Khalid Yonis said that Hassan was shot dead near his home in the western district of Madina in Mogadishu. "This is an unfortunate loss of life. We will apprehend the killers of the journalist," Yonis told Xinhua by phone.

According to Yonis, the security forces are investigating this "senseless killing". This is the third such killing of Somali journalists during the past three months.

Somaliweyn radio has its equipment looted by fighters of the militant Al-Shabaab group in 2010 after they run over the area in Mogadishu where the station was located.