Somalia gunmen shoot dead a journalist

Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries to work as a journalist

Gunmen in Somalia have killed a prominent journalist who worked at the state-run radio station in the capital.

Sheikh Nur Abkey was abducted on Tuesday and his body was found dumped in the street later that evening.

It is unclear who killed him, but his colleagues believe was targeted because he worked for Radio Mogadishu which is critical of Islamist militants.

They control large swathes of country, with the UN-backed interim government limited to sections of the capital.

Somalia, which has not had a functioning central government since 1991, is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for members of the media.

Reporters Without Borders says nine journalists were killed in Somalia in 2009.

The BBC's Mohammed Olad Hassan in the capital, Mogadishu, says Mr Abkey was a veteran journalist, remaining in Mogadishu when the civil war started.

He worked for the independent HornAfrik radio station and the Somali Television Network as a news anchor and comedian, our reporter says.

More recently, he worked with Somalia's information ministry training journalists at Radio Mogadishu.