Angry residents of the Gedo region border town of BeledHawo on Thursday took to the streets after an an immigration officer and a former Alshabaab militant shot dead a police officer and fled.
“The man was on a night patrol with one police officer. He shot the police and fled with his rifle. The residents are protesting the regional states decision to appoint an former militant as an immigration officer” Ahmed Birik a Gedo region official told Radio Dalsan.
The immigration officer has been identified as Abdi Hassan who was until early this year a top ranking AlShabaab official in Gedo region.
Upon his defection from the militant group he was appointed an immigration official at the Somalia Kenya border town of BeledHawo.
Official say a manhunt has been launched to have the ex militant captured and neighbouring Kenyan town of Mandera is also on alert.
Security sources believe Hassan may have rejoined AlShabaab.
