Al-Shabaab Murders Head Of Emirati Port Operator In Puntland

A senior official from Emirati port operator DP World has been shot and killed in the semi-autonomous Somalia region of Puntland, reports the Garowe Online (Somalia). 

On Monday, Paul Anthony Formosa, the Maltese construction project manager for DP World, was killed by gunmen disguised as fishermen, reported Reuters. 

Three of his body guards were also wounded in the attack, reported Bloomberg News. 

Formosa died after reaching the hospital. 

Police said they killed one of the attackers. One of the gunmen was captured and identified as a member of Al-Shabaab. 

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that Formosa was in Somalia "illegally," reported BBC News. 

The deal with DP World to develop the Bossasso port has been controversial. Locals protested the agreement when it was signed in 2017 and the federal Somali government declared it void, saying it violated Somalia sovereignty.