Mogadishu, July 3 (IANS): Somali lawmaker Mahamud Mohamed Hayd was shot dead by a gunman Thursday in the country's capital Mogadishu, police said.
"The member of parliament was shot a number of times by an assailant and died. The attacker escaped from the scene and police are in pursuit of the culprit," police officer Omar Juus told Xinhua.
The killing comes as the Somali capital sees an upsurge in attacks by Islamist rebel group Al Shabaab during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The radical group claimed responsibility for the killing of the Somali MP and vowed to continue its attacks against Somali government forces and officials.
In April, two lawmakers were separately killed by militants in Mogadishu. Abdelaziz Isaq Mursal was shot dead as he left his home in Mogadishu while Isaq Mohamed Riino was killed in a car bomb explosion.
Witnesses said the son of another lawmaker was also injured in the attack against Hayd in the Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu.
Somali government officials vowed to tackle insecurity in Mogadishu which has lately been witnessing intermittent explosions and targeted killings of both civilians and government officials.
The Al Shabaab has been pushed out of several key areas in the south and centre of Somalia by government and AMISOM forces.