Unknown gunmen on Wednesday executed the director of Puntland Development Research Center, Mohamed Yasin Isse (Ilkase) in Garowe, pumping bullets into him and a bodyguard at 11:45am.
Three other people have reportedly been killed in the shooting, which took place around noon when the director and his bodyguards were driving home from his office.
Barkhadle, a witness, told Somalia Report he saw four armed men kill the director along a main road in Garowe.
"I saw armed men approach as the car drew closer to them, and pull out their guns," he said. "They stopped the car, and talked for less than a minute. I don't know what they talked about - I can only remember how terrible it was when I saw shooting."
Puntland police arrived swiftly after the incident and cordoned off the area. A spokesperson for the police told Somalia Report that the perpetrators have managed to escape, but the police were launching a man hunt.
Relatives of the murdered official told Somalia report his killing is likely related to a family feud, after a member of his sub-clan killed another man few months ago. These claims could not be verified. Somalia Report believes that Yasin was gunned down by members of Ahmed-Khayr subclan of Isse-Mohamoud for the death of their fellow Ahmed-Khayr clansman Captain Ahmed Raji who was killed in Burtinle by members of Reer-Hersi, a sub-subclan of Omar-Mohamoud clans.
The suspects were hiding 40kms outside of Garowe and an operation was mounted to take two suspects into custody. One of the gunmen was killed in the attack.
This killing comes shortly after the murder of elder Saleh Abdisalam Ahmed coming out a mosque after prayers at the center of Bosaso. Puntland authorities have arrested ten people in connection with that cold blooded murder. Puntland has been plagued with a series of high level murders usually conducted during the day and after prayers.