HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) — an early morning assassination attempt against the Hargeisa chief magistrate ended in failure.
Hargeisa magistrate Abdirashid Duraan was rushed to the hospital after men armed with pistols shot him as he left a mosque after performing morning prayers in the neighborhood of New Hargeisa.
The magistrate who sustained injuries is receiving medical attention in Djibouti after the government chartered a plane for him. Reports from his hospital in Djibouti indicate that his condition is stabilizing
Eyewitnesses say that about four men armed with pistols opened fire at the magistrate as he emerged from a mosque near his home in New Hargeisa district, where they inflicted not life taking bullet wounds.
Police sources indicate they have leads on the gunmen who escaped immediately after the shooting the magistrate, though they declined to divulge more information as it might impinge on investigations.
Last Sunday judge Duraan presided over a case in which 3 government officials were convicted of embezzlement and fraud. A former adviser to President Silanyo was sentenced to 1 year with the other two officials sentenced to 3 years.
While no connection has been established yet between the shooting and corruption case judgment, speculation is rife that this might be an Al-shabaab operation meant to sow seed of hatred among residents of the capital city.
This speculation is derived from the fact that Al-shabaab assassinations follow the same modus operandi utilizes on the magistrate, that is early morning or early evening shootings for targets leaving mosques after prayers.
