MOGADISHU, Somalia 7 September 2026 – Journalist Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi, known professionally as Bashir Moalin, has died from wounds suffered during armed clashes in Baidoa, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said, mourning the Arlaadi Media Network reporter as the second journalist killed in Somalia this year.
MOGADISHU, Somalia 7 September 2026 – Journalist Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi, known professionally as Bashir Moalin, has died from wounds suffered during armed clashes in Baidoa, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said, mourning the Arlaadi Media Network reporter as the second journalist killed in Somalia this year.
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Bashir, 28, died early Monday, 7 September 2026, after sustaining critical injuries while trying to take cover during fighting in Baidoa, Southwest State, his family told SJS.
Colleagues who spoke with SJS said Bashir was hit by two bullets in the back near his home in Al Axmaar, a neighbourhood in northern Baidoa. The bullets passed through his abdomen. He was rushed to Bay Regional Hospital, where surgeons carried out an emergency operation, but he remained in a coma from Thursday until he died on Monday morning.
SJS said it had been working with Bashir’s family to arrange a transfer to Mogadishu for specialised treatment before his death. On Sunday, the union received a medical report from relatives stating that he needed urgent referral to life-saving care unavailable in Baidoa.
“The patient’s condition remains serious,” a doctor treating Bashir told SJS on Sunday, stressing the need for emergency evacuation for further life-saving treatment.
Bashir’s father, Moalin Mohamed Abdullahi, told SJS that his son was buried in Baidoa and urged authorities to ensure those behind the shooting are held responsible.
“My son was supporting his siblings and his fourth-month-old son. He was shot twice in the back. I want accountability for my son. Those who killed him must be found,” said Moalin Mohamed Abdullahi.
Born in Hudur town in the Bakool region, Bashir later relocated to Baidoa, where colleagues said he had worked for Arlaadi Media Network for the past three years.
The violence in Baidoa broke out on Thursday between forces aligned with ousted Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and federal forces backing Adan Madobe, who has been presented as the new leader of Southwest State and is supported by the Federal Government of Somalia.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, which supports Bay Regional Hospital, said the hospital treated 71 wounded people after the 3 September fighting, among them 15 women and 12 children.
Local media reported that more than 12 people were killed in Thursday’s clashes.
Bashir’s killing underscores the dangers facing journalists and civilians trapped in armed violence. Journalists in Baidoa told SJS the security environment has deteriorated as clashes have flared repeatedly in recent weeks. Several also said they had faced threats and intimidation connected to their reporting on the conflict.
SJS said it is especially alarmed that both sides in the Baidoa conflict are pressuring journalists and seeking to shape coverage in line with their own positions. The union said such interference weakens journalists’ ability to report independently and deprives the public of reliable information during a time of conflict and political crisis.
SJS reminded all parties to the conflict in Somalia’s Southwest State that they are responsible for taking all feasible steps to protect civilians, including journalists, from the impact of hostilities, and must comply with applicable international humanitarian and human rights standards.
The union also called for credible, impartial investigations into the circumstances of Bashir’s shooting, saying doctors and his family confirmed he was running to safety when he was shot twice in the back. SJS urged that anyone found responsible be brought to justice under the law, saying accountability is vital to deter further attacks on journalists and to prevent abuses against civilians from going unpunished.
SJS mourned Bashir’s death and offered condolences to his family, colleagues, Arlaadi Media Network and Somalia’s wider media community.
“On behalf of the SJS team and the entire media community in Somalia, we extend our deepest condolences over the shocking death of our colleague Bashir Mohamed Abdullahi in Baidoa this morning. He was shot and critically injured on Thursday while trying to reach safety during armed clashes in his neighbourhood. He remained in a coma at Bay Regional Hospital until doctors and his family confirmed that he had succumbed to his injuries today,” said SJS Secretary General Abdalle Mumin.
“This is another tragic loss of a journalist in Somalia and a stark reminder of the serious and continuing risks faced by media workers across the country. Bashir was unarmed. At the time he was shot, he was simply running to safety during armed clashes in his neighbourhood. We demand an independent and credible investigation into the circumstances of Bashir’s shooting and accountability for those responsible,” Mr. Mumin added.
Bashir is the second media worker killed in Somalia this year. On 2 March 2026, journalist Abshir Khalif Shidane was shot dead in Kismayo, Jubaland State, by a Jubaland State police officer.
– Somali Journalists Syndicate –
