A gunman killed a Swedish cameraman during a pro-Islamic demonstration yesterday in Mogadishu, Somalia. Award-winning journalist Martin Adler was shot in the back at close range. Mr Adler had worked for Channel 4 in the past and spent time in more than two dozen war zones including Iraq, Bosnia and Rwanda.More, from AP:
"Martin Adler was one of the most experienced war correspondents in Europe and the world," Anders Gerdin, editor-in-chief of Aftonbladet, said in a statement published in the paper's website. Aftonbladet, which the journalist was on assignment for, also confirms his age as 47.
"He was shot and killed while attending the rally," said Mohamed Amin, a Somali journalist who was at the scene. "He died on the spot." A second witness said a gunman had shot Adler near the heart in deliberate fashion, shortly after the journalist had snapped several still photographs of demonstrators, and that the crowd had scattered in panic. "It was not an accident," the witness told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity citing security fears. "It was an intentional murder by someone who wanted to kill a journalist."
The chairman of the Islamic courts union, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, condemned the killing, saying he was personally very upset. "It is barbaric and we will punish those responsible," he told AFP. "I send my condolences to the family of the deceased, his nation and the agency he was serving. We will take serious action on this matter," Ahmed added. "Those who did this are not responsible people and they don't represent the people of Mogadishu, the Islamic courts or the Somali people."
| Fred's right. This man bears watching. RIP, Mr. Adler. |