By: Mohamed Osman
Horseed Media
Col.Muse Ahmed Salah, the head of Police in the autonomous region of Puntland State (Northeastern Somalia), was confirmed dead, after a fatal gun shot wound to the head, on Wednesday evening.
Puntland officials told Horseed Media, that the chief of Police sustained a gun shot wound to the head, he was rushed to the Garowe General Hospital, where he later died.
The security guards of Col.Salah, told the police that they heard one gunshot coming from Col.Salah’s room, where they found him fatally wounded on the ground.
According to the security guards, Col.Musse Salah shot himself in the head.
“…all of the security guards of Col.Salah, were taken in to custody, while we conduct an investigation on the death of the Police chief….” Said Abdi Xirsi Ali, the governor of Nugal region in an interview with Horseed Media.
On Thursday morning, the Puntland government held, a state funeral for Col.Musse Salah, hundreds of people attended the burial at a cemetery in Garowe.
Puntland’s state Attorney, Mohamud Hassan Aw Osman, told reporters in a press conference, that Puntland government investigators have concluded, that the death of Col.Salah, was a suicide.
The death of Puntland’s Police chief, came just hours after, the information Minister of Puntland, was assassinated in Galkaio city, about 250 km south of Garowe, the capital of Puntland State.
Warsame Abdi Shirwa, the information Minister of Puntland State, was assassinated by four gunmen, in Galkaio, on Wednesday. The police say they are still investigating and searching for the assassins.
Today, Puntland President Abdirahman Farole and other government officials are expected to attend the funeral of the Minister, in Galkaio city.
Mr.Shirwa was the first minister killed in Puntland state, since the Northeastern region declared itself an autonomous State, in 1998.
Source: Horseed Media
IRIN NEWS/SOMALIA