Car bomb kills journalist in Somalia capital, says witness

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A Somali journalist has been killed by a car bomb in the capital late Monday, says a fellow journalist.

Mohamed Ibrahim, a news presenter for Kalsan TV, died at a hospital after being injured by a bomb concealed in his car in Mogadishu's Wadajir district, said Ahmed Mohamed, who works for the same broadcaster.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for media workers. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 59 journalists have been killed since 1992, soon after a civil war began in this Horn of Africa nation. The deadliest year was 2012 when 18 journalists were killed.

It is believed that over the years several different groups have killed the journalists, including the Islamic extremist rebels of Al-Shabab, Somali warlords, criminals and possibly government agents.

Somali journalists frequently receive threats. But police rarely investigate the threats or murders or adequately protect reporters. Only one person has been convicted of killing a journalist and he was executed last year.