Somali Journalist Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled Killed In Suicide Bomb Attack

Prominent Somali journalist Abdiaziz Mohamud Guled has been killed in a suicide bomb attack in the capital, Mogadishu.

Guled, commonly known as Abdiaziz Afrika, was targeted by an Al Shabaab suicide bomber as he was leaving a restaurant in the city shortly after midday on Saturday, Nov.20.

"My cousin Abdiaziz was killed by a suicide bomber immediately after he went out to a restaurant... he died as he was rushed to hospital," his cousin Abdullahi Nur told Reuters.

"He always shone a big light on al Shabaab, may God rest his soul," Nur said.

Islamist militant group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Guled was a critic of the extremist group, which has been waging a violent insurgency against the UN-backed country’s fragile government for more than a decade.

The group frequently carry out bombings in their battle to overpower the government and impose its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.

"The mujahideen had been hunting Abdiaziz for a long time. He committed crimes against Islam, he was involved in the killing of mujahideens," Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab military operation spokesperson, told Reuters.

Guled was in his car accompanied by the director of Somali National Television when the bomber approached them and detonated a device, Radio Mogadishu reported citing police sources.

"He came out of the restaurant and went into his car with a colleague after they had dinner and the suicide bomber ran onto the car window and detonated himself," colleague Ali Mohamed said.

Four people were injured in the attack, the station said in a tweet.

Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble offered his condolences to Guled's family.

"Abdiaziz was a hardworking journalist and national hero who worked for his country, his people, and his religion with courage and relentlessness," he said.

Guled worked with the government-owned Radio Mogadishu and was well known for his highly rated and controversial interviews with detained al-Shabab suspects.

An analysis by experts at the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project estimated that Al-Shabab militants have killed over 4,000 people since 2010.