Christian shot, killed in Somalia by suspected rebels

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Gunmen shot and killed a Christian in Mogadishu, Somalia, for spreading his faith, the victim’s neighbor said. 

Two men armed with pistols shot Abdikhani Hassan seven times as he approached his home after closing his pharmacy in Kharkinley District on Oct. 20, his Muslim neighbor told a Morning Star News source. Hassan is survived by his wife, who is pregnant, and five children ages 3 to 12.

Before killing Hassan, one of the assailants told the neighbor, “We have information that Hassan is spreading wrong religion to our people, and we are looking for him,” the neighbor recalled.

The men who murdered Hassan are suspected to be Al Shabaab militia. Although Islamic extremists from the rebel group no longer control Mogadishu, a few rebels hiding their militant identity remain in the capital, according to one source.