The murdered man was known as Abdiwahab Shiekh Ahmed “Hamza” and was working with Golis Telecom, the largest telecom operator in the semi-autonomous region.

“The man was killed while he was near the mosque, and the killers were two men who hid their faces,” witness Abdi Mohamed told Somalia Report.

According to residents, Hamza was an elder and ran a charity helping orphans. Police are probing the killing, which is believed to be linked to either clan or business issues.

Puntland has seen a spate of clan violence, militia uprisings and assassinations - often targeting mosques or people returning from prayer - in recent times, threatening the security of the relatively peaceful region.

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