Puntland intelligence officer killed in Galkayo bomb
Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 7:48 am
Yasin Tolwaye, the Puntland Intelligence Service (PIS) chief in Mudug region, died at the scene alongside a female employee after their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in the central town of Galkayo, witnesses said.
A male suspect ran away from the scene and was caught by Puntland security forces, with emerging reports indicating that the suspect was wounded during the course of his arrest.
The late Mr. Tolwaye was attacked by suspected insurgents using hand grenades at his Galkayo residence in May 2008.
No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly bombing, but Islamist hardliners waging war in south-central Somalia have repeatedly targeted and killed PIS agents since last year.
PIS is the sole intelligence agency operating in Puntland State, reportedly with funding and training support from Western intelligence services.
Earlier this month, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed "Farole," the new president of Puntland who was elected in January, ordered the PIS to shut down its second office in the port city of Bossaso within a week after citing public complaints.
The PIS has not shut down its office in Bossaso yet, but PIS chief Osman "Diana" Abdullahi asked President Farole for an extension period to completely shut down its second office and was approved, government sources said.
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