According to the witnesses, the deadly attack occurred as the Puntland security forces were conducting a night patrol in the northern part of the state capital Galkayo.
The murdered officers are part of an armed vigilante group, which operates in several neighborhoods of northern Galkayo to tackle cases of insecurity in the city. The group is paid by locals to prevent criminal activities.
“They were four men, two of them armed with pistols," one of the witnesses who sought anonymity told Somalia Report.
The attackers fled immediately after the shooting incident, locals said.
But Puntland security forces, who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards, netted several suspects in connection with the shooting.
Puntland Chairman in Galkayo, Sa’id Abdi, confirmed the assassinations.
“Investigations are going on,” he said.
The killings come in the wake of heightened security concerns following a wave of assassinations targeting Puntland officials.