Four hurt in attacks on three Somali radio stations

Three journalists and a security guard were injured in northern Somalia, when unknown assailants using hand grenades launched what seemed to be a coordinated attack on three independent radio stations, officials and journalists said.

Three journalists and a security guard were injured in northern Somalia, when unknown assailants using hand grenades launched what seemed to be a coordinated attack on three independent radio stations, officials and journalists said.

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The attacks occurred yesterday in the evening when radio Galkaio, radio Mudug and radio Hobyo, all of them in Galkaio, were attacked minutes from each other leaving journalists in the region shocked.

The attacks against the three radio stations looked coordinated and were related to one another, with an unidentified number of assailants hurling hand grenades at the stations leaving four journalists and staff members injured, Colonel Abdulahi Weli, a Puntland police officer, said by phone.

"We are investigating the incident because such attacks against the independent radio stations are new to the region," he said.

Abdulkadir Ali Jumale, a radio journalist who was slightly injured, also confirmed the attack saying he was shocked by it.

"I was getting out of radio Mudug after having conversation with my friends working there when two heavy explosions seemingly hand grenades hit very close to me. The power of the explosion slammed me against the wall leaving me unconscious for a few minutes," he said.