Gunmen Kill 5 in Somali Mosque

Masked gunmen have stormed a mosque in Somalia's Puntland region, killing at least five preachers from Pakistan.

Witnesses say the gunmen forced the Islamic preachers out of the Tawfiq Mosque in Galkayo on Wednesday, and killed them nearby.

Five of the preachers died at the scene. Two other men were wounded.

No one has claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Puntland, a semi-autonomous region, has been relatively peaceful compared to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which sees near-daily violence and killing.

Somalia has not had an effective government for 18 years, since 1991 when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and plunged the country into civil war.


Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.