Two UN workers killed

Mogadishu: The UN yesterday condemned the killing of two of its humanitarian workers in Somalia by assailants from Islamist group al Shabaab, and urged all combatants in the country’s warring sides to respect civilians.

The international body said the two victims, both Somalis, were working with an ongoing polio vaccination campaign by the UN agencies Unicef and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

They were killed on Wednesday in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

‘‘These workers were civilians providing critical health services to vulnerable children in Mogadishu,’’ the statement said, adding they were killed by suspected al Shabaab fighters.

Al Qaedaallied al Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple Somalia’s central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

Since January 2020, 13 humanitarian workers have been killed while 12 were injured in similar incidents. — Reuters