BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — Islamist militants in Somalia have killed the widow of a Christian who was slain for his faith in December 2012, leaving the couple’s five children orphaned, sources said.
Islamic extremist Al Shabaab rebels shot 42-year-old Fartun Omar to death April 13 in Buulodbarde, 12 miles from Beledweyne, Somalia, according to Abdi Aziz Suleiman of Radio Shebelle in Beledweyne.
The extremists had been searching for her for several months, as they knew that she was a secret Christian like her late husband, Mursal Isse Siad, sources said.
Due to the threat of persecution, Omar on April 10 decided to leave the central Somalian city by bus with another neighbor to seek refuge with relatives, the first neighbor said. On reaching Buulobarde, which is controlled by Al Shabaab, militants at a roadblock ordered passengers to disembark and questioned them one by one.
“Unfortunately, she was not cleared by the Al Shabaab,” said the neighbor who accompanied her. “I only heard one of them saying, ‘This is the woman whose husband was killed last year. Do not let her in.’”
“On April 13, I received news from Beledweyne that a woman in Buulobarde had been killed by the Al Shabaab,” the neighbor said. “Soon I found out that it was Fartun Omar.”
Sources said Omar was found dead on the outskirts of Buulobarde with bullet wounds to her right side.
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