MOGADISHU, Two journalists have been wounded following grenade attack at a radio station in central Somalia.

The journalists, working for Radio Galkacyo, suffered injuries when an unknown assailant hurled two grenades at the station’s premises Wednesday evening, causing confusion as staff in the station scampered for safety.

Iman Mohamed, a journalist in the vicinity, told Xinhua that one of the grenades hit the director’s office and the other at the yard, but the director was away at the time.

Mohamed Ibrahim Bakistan, Secretary General with National Union of Journalists, condemned the attack, terming it an affront to the freedom of the media and a sustained effort aimed at silencing the media in Somalia.

“These attacks on journalists and the media fraternity in Somalia are desperate attempts aimed at intimidating the media from carrying out its duty of being the ears and eyes of the public,” said Bakistan.

The media has suffered several attacks this year in Somalia, with a number of journalists losing their lives and others sustaining serious injuries. The militant group Al-shabaab has on several occasions claimed responsibility for these attacks, which have also targeted government officials and UN installations.

The two journalists were rushed to a local hospital. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Source: Xinhua