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Foreigners shot at Somali mosque Foreigners shot at Somali mosque
(about 1 hour later)
Five foreigners, thought to be Pakistanis, have been killed in a dawn attack in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, witnesses say. At least five foreigners, thought to be Pakistanis, have been killed in a dawn attack in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, witnesses say.
Six armed men in masks entered a mosque in Galkayo and ordered six Pakistanis and one Somali outside, they said. Armed men in masks entered a mosque in Galkayo and ordered six Pakistanis and one Somali outside, they said.
The gunmen then opened fire, killing five men and seriously injuring two.The gunmen then opened fire, killing five men and seriously injuring two.
Correspondents say it is unclear why the men were targeted, but the northern region is tense after the recent killing of an information minister. Those targeted are said to be preachers from a religious sect. Puntland has been tense recently, but correspondents the reason for the attack is unclear.
The Pakistanis are thought to be missionaries from an Islamic sect called Tabliq who arrived in Galkayo on Tuesday.
Cordoned off
Correspondents say it is common for groups of foreign preachers to spend several months travelling in Somalia on missionary work.
Tabliq is known to be peaceful. Six religious leaders from the sect were killed in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in 2008, during fighting between Ethiopian troops supporting the government and Islamist militants.
In Galkayo, security forces cordoned off the area after the shooting and were conducting house-to-house searches.
Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991 and has recently been riven by fighting between Islamist insurgents and government troops.Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991 and has recently been riven by fighting between Islamist insurgents and government troops.
The security situation in Puntland has been tense after the recent killing of an information minister.
Pirates operating off the Somali coast are based in the northern region, but it has seen less violence than the rest of the country.