Mogadishu — Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants shot dead the Maltese manager of a major northern port and detonated a car bomb in the capital on Monday, killing nine people, in a day of death for the restive nation.

A gunman shot Maltese national Paul Anthony Formosa at the Bossasso port, in semi-autonomous Puntland state, while he was at work for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based global operator DP World.

Soon afterwards, up to 11 people were killed by a powerful car-bomb blast, which rocked the busy Hamarweyne market in the capital Mogadishu, in the latest attack by the Al-Qaeda affiliate plaguing the country. Earlier, officials said nine were killed.

“An armed man shot and killed Paul Anthony Formosa who was the construction project manager for DP World. He was killed inside the port and the security forces also shot the killer on the spot”, local security official, Mohamed Dahir, told AFP.

A witness, Abdukadir Weheliye, said he heard several shots at the port and then saw the body of a white man being taken away in an ambulance.

The Dubai government confirmed the death in a statement on Twitter. Three other employees have been injured in this morning’s incident, and all are currently receiving medical treatment,” it said in a statement.

The attack was claimed by al-Shabaab, which said in a statement it was “part of broader operations targeting the mercenary companies that loot the Somali resources”.

The DP World subsidiary in 2017 signed a 30-year concession contract for the management and development of the port, strategically located on the Gulf of Aden, between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, more than 1,300km north of Mogadishu.

The Dubai-based ports company has sparked friction with Mogadishu over its development of ports in Berbera in breakaway Somaliland — whose independence is not recognised — as well as Puntland.

Many of Somalia’s federal states have aligned with the United Arab Emirates, while the central government is perceived as pro-Qatar, in the Gulf crisis pitting Arab powers against each other. Shabaab also claimed responsibility for the car bomb in Mogadishu, via a statement on a pro-Shabaab website.

“The blast occurred close to Mogadishu mall, and it has caused death and destruction,” said police officer Ahmed Moalin Ali.

“The terrorists parked a vehicle loaded with explosives in the vicinity of the mall to kill the innocent civilians.”

He said some of the victims died in a building that collapsed as a result of the blast in the Hamarweyne market.</s>Image copyright AFP Image caption Bossasso port is being developed under a 30-year deal

A Maltese port manager has been shot dead in Somalia's northern semi-autonomous Puntland state, officials say.

Paul Anthony Formosa, who was the construction project manager for P&O Ports, was killed near Bossasso port.

Islamist militant group al-Shabab has said it carried out the attack.

Puntland, an arid region of north-east Somalia, declared itself an autonomous state in 1998, in part to avoid the clan warfare in southern Somalia.

The state is a destination for many Somalis displaced by violence in the south.

How was port manager killed?

Mr Formosa was waylaid by gunmen disguised as fishermen as he was heading to the port, news agency Reuters reports.

"[He was killed] in the fish market as he was going to Bossasso port this morning. The men armed with pistols hit him [with] several bullets in the head," Yusuf Mohamed, governor of Puntland's Bari region, told Reuters.

One of the gunmen involved in Monday's attack was caught alive and has been identified as a member of al-Shabab, Mr Mohamed said.

Two guards at the port were also injured in the attack, he said.

Al-Shabab said it carried out the attack, accusing developers of looting Somalia's resources.

It accused Mr Formosa of being in Somalia "illegally".

"We are behind the operation... we had warned him but he turned [a] deaf ear. He was illegally in Somalia," al-Shabab's military operations spokesman, Abdiasis Abu Musab, said.

Why was the port deal controversial?

Dubai-based DP World - one of the world's largest port operators - won a 30-year concession in 2017 worth $336m (£260m) to develop and manage the Bossasso port.

Many residents opposed the deal and staged protests during which at least one person was killed. They said that the deal would increase taxes at the port.

DP World has a similar agreement for Berbera port in the neighbouring region of Somaliland, which has declared independence from Somalia.

The federal Somali government declared the deals null and void, accusing the operator of violating the country's sovereignty. Subsequently, the Somali parliament passed a bill banning DP World from Somalia.

P&O Ports is working in Somalia as a subsidiary of the Dubai-based Port, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC).

What is Somalia's relationship with the Gulf countries?

Somalia has been caught up in the ongoing diplomatic spat between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, its two allies and benefactors.

It has so far taken a neutral stance.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes Dubai, and Bahrain severed relations with Qatar on 5 June 2017.

"Somalia has become a chessboard in the power game between Qatar and Turkey on the one side and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies on the other," Rashid Abdi, director of the Horn of Africa project at the International Crisis Group, told the BBC.

"There is no doubt that these rivalries are spilling over into Africa. Somalia is especially vulnerable because of its proximity to the Gulf and its long historical relationship with the region," he added.

Corrected on 6/2/19 to clarify that P&O Ports is a subsidiary of PCFC, not DP World.</s>Al-Shabaab terrorist group on Monday claimed responsibility for killing the Maltese director of Dubai government-owned P&O Ports operations in Somalia's Bosaso port.

A local government official in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland confirmed Monday that the director was killed by gunmen.

Yusuf Mohamed, governor of Puntland's Bari region told Reuters that two men disguised as fishermen had shot Paul Anthony Formosa as he was going to Bosaso port this morning.

Al-Shabaab said it had carried out the attack and accused Formosa of being in Somalia illegally. "We are behind the operation ... we had warned him but he turned a deaf ear. He was illegally in Somalia," said spokesman for Al-Shabaab's military operations, Abdiasis Abu Musab.

Meanwhile, a huge blast was heard in the heart of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Monday and clouds of smoke could be seen rising from the scene of the blast, according to a Reuters witness.

It was unclear what caused the explosion.</s>A Maltese port manager has been shot dead in Somalia's northern semi-autonomous Puntland state, officials say.

Paul Anthony Formosa, who was the construction project manager for DP World, was killed inside Bossasso port.

Islamist militant group al-Shabab has said it carried out the attack.

Puntland, an arid region of north-east Somalia, declared itself an autonomous state in 1998, in part to avoid the clan warfare in southern Somalia.

The state is a destination for many Somalis displaced by violence in the south.

Mr Formosa was manager at Bossasso port for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based DP World.

The attacker was killed on the spot, Mohamed Dahir, a local security official, told AFP news agency.</s>A Maltese port manager has been shot dead in Somalia's northern semi-autonomous Puntland state, officials say.

Paul Anthony Formosa, who was the construction project manager for DP World, was killed inside Bossasso port.

Islamist militant group al-Shabab has said it carried out the attack.

Puntland, an arid region of north-east Somalia, declared itself an autonomous state in 1998, in part to avoid the clan warfare in southern Somalia.

The state is a destination for many Somalis displaced by violence in the south.

Mr Formosa killer was shot dead on the spot, Mohamed Dahir, a local security official, told AFP news agency.
• How the crisis in the Gulf could spread to East Africa

Mr Formosa was manager for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based DP World, one of the world's largest port operators.

The company won a deal a 30-year concession in 2017 worth $336m (£260m) to develop and manage the Bossasso port.

Many residents opposed the deal and staged protests during which at least one person was killed. They said that the deal would increase taxes at the port.

DP World has a similar accord for Berbera port in the neighbouring region of Somaliland, which has declared independence from Somalia.

The federal Somali government declared the agreements null and void, accusing the operator of violating the country's sovereignty. Subsequently, the Somali parliament passed a bill banning DP World from Somalia.</s>A gunman Monday killed the manager of the port of Bossasso, in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland state, a local security official said, in an attack claimed by the Islamist Al-Shabaab group.

“An armed man shot and killed Paul Anthony Formosa who was the construction project manager for DP World. He was killed inside the port and the security forces also shot the killer on the spot”, the official, Mohamed Dahir, told AFP.

Formosa, a Maltese national, was manager at Bossasso for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based DP World. According to his profile on LinkedIn, had been in the position since August 2017.

A witness, Abdukadir Weheliye, said he heard several shots coming from inside the port and then saw the body of a white man being taken away in an ambulance.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the killing in a statement.

“The attack is part of broader operations targeting the mercenary companies that loot the Somali resources”, it said.

The DP World subsidiary had signed a 30-year concession contract for the management and development of the port, strategically located on the Gulf of Aden, between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, more than 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) north of Mogadishu.</s>GAROWE, Somalia (Reuters) - Gunmen posing as fishermen killed Dubai government-owned P&O Ports’ operations in Somalia’s semi-autonomous region of Puntland on Monday in an attack claimed by Islamist militant group Al Shabaab.

Yusuf Mohamed, governor of Puntland’s Bari region, told Reuters that two men disguised as fishermen had shot Paul Anthony Formosa as he was going to Bossaso port this morning.

He was killed “in the fish market as he was going to Bossaso port this morning. The men armed with pistols hit him (with) several bullets in the head,” Mohamed said.

One of the attackers was shot dead by security forces at the scene and the other detained, he said. Formosa’s LinkedIn account states his nationality as Maltese.

P&O Ports said an employee had died and three others injured in an “incident” at Bossaso Port, without giving further details. The company was cooperating with the Puntland authorities in its investigation, it said in a statement published on Twitter by Dubai’s government media office.

Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and accused Formosa of being in Somalia “illegally”. The group is fighting to topple Somalia’s Western-backed central government and install its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islam’s sharia law.

“We are behind the operation ... we had warned him but he turned deaf ear. He was illegally in Somalia,” said spokesman for Al Shabaab’s military operations, Abdiasis Abu Musab.

P&O Ports has run Puntland’s Bossaso port since winning a 30-year concession in 2017 to expand and manage the facility.</s>A gunman Monday killed the manager of the port of Bossasso, in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland state, a local security official said, in an attack claimed by the Islamist Al-Shabaab group.

"An armed man shot and killed Paul Anthony Formosa who was the construction project manager for DP World. He was killed inside the port and the security forces also shot the killer on the spot", the official, Mohamed Dahir, told AFP.

Formosa, a Maltese national, was manager at Bossasso for P&O Ports, a subsidiary of the Dubai-based DP World. According to his profile on LinkedIn, he had been in the position since August 2017.

A witness, Abdukadir Weheliye, said he heard several shots coming from inside the port and then saw the body of a white man being taken away in an ambulance.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the killing in a statement.

"The attack is part of broader operations targeting the mercenary companies that loot the Somali resources", it said.

The DP World subsidiary in 2017 signed a 30-year concession contract for the management and development of the port, strategically located on the Gulf of Aden, between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, more than 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) north of Mogadishu.

The Dubai-based ports company has sparked friction with Mogadishu over its development of ports in Berbera in breakaway Somaliland -- whose independence is not recognised -- as well as Puntland.

Many of Somalia's federal states have aligned with the United Arab Emirates, while the central government is perceived as pro-Qatar, in the Gulf crisis pitting Arab powers against each other.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre's military regime which ushered in decades of anarchy and conflict.</s>DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Al-Shabab militants shot and killed a Maltese man Monday who worked for a Dubai government-owned port operator in Somalia, authorities said.

The attack on Dubai’s P&O Ports comes as the United Arab Emirates has rapidly expanded its port operations and military presence in Somalia and across East Africa. Al-Shabab said it targeted the man in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region because he worked for a company that “occupies” the area’s Bosaso Port, likely a worrying sign for the Emiratis amid their expansion.

P&O Ports acknowledged one of its employees was killed and three others injured in an “incident” Monday at its operations in Bosaso, 1,100 kilometres (690 miles) northeast of the capital city, Mogadishu, on the Gulf of Aden.

The government-run Dubai Media Office tweeted the information on behalf of P&O Ports, saying an investigation was ongoing. It did not explain the circumstances of the worker’s death, though it said those injured were receiving medical care. P&O Ports did not answer a phone call Monday seeking comment.

Malta’s Foreign Ministry identified the dead man as a Maltese citizen who worked as a construction project manager for P&O Ports. It said he had been “shot dead.” Al-Shabab separately claimed the attack.</s>Al-Shabab says it killed Dubai port official in Somalia

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Al-Shabab militants shot and killed a Maltese man Monday who worked for a Dubai government-owned port operator in Somalia, authorities said.

The attack on Dubai's P&O Ports comes as the United Arab Emirates has rapidly expanded its port operations and military presence in Somalia and across East Africa. Al-Shabab said it targeted the man in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region because he worked for a company that "occupies" the area's Bosaso Port, likely a worrying sign for the Emiratis amid their expansion.

P&O Ports acknowledged one of its employees was killed and three others injured in an "incident" Monday at its operations in Bosaso, 1,100 kilometers (690 miles) northeast of the capital city, Mogadishu, on the Gulf of Aden.

The government-run Dubai Media Office tweeted the information on behalf of P&O Ports, saying an investigation was ongoing. It did not explain the circumstances of the worker's death, though it said those injured were receiving medical care. P&O Ports did not answer a phone call Monday seeking comment.

Malta's Foreign Ministry identified the dead man as a Maltese citizen who worked as a construction project manager for P&O Ports. It said he had been "shot dead." Al-Shabab separately claimed the attack.

Malta Freeport Terminals named the man as Paul Anthony Formosa, a former employee.

"Paul was a hardworking employee, lively, open-minded and loved by his colleagues," CEO Alex Montebello said in a statement. "We are extremely shocked to learn of this attack and our thoughts are with his family during this most difficult time."

Al-Shabab, or "the youth" in Arabic, is a Sunni Islamic extremist group in Somalia born out of that country's years of anarchy following its 1991 civil war. The al-Qaida-linked group has launched attacks across Somalia and into Uganda and Kenya.

The U.S. has targeted al-Shabab leaders in drone strikes while Somali forces, backed by troops from African nations, regained control of Mogadishu in 2011. But suicide attacks from al-Shabab continue unabated, challenging the Somali government even as investment and rebuilding take hold. On Monday, a suspected al-Shabab car bombing in Mogadishu killed at least seven people.

The UAE in recent years has increasingly invested in ports in East Africa, which lie along a crucial trade route for the federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.

P&O Ports signed a 30-year, $336 million deal in 2017 to develop the Bosaso Port. Meanwhile, Dubai's DP World also is operating a major port in Somalia's breakaway territory of Somaliland.

Associated Press writers Maamoun Youssef in Cairo and Stephen Calleja in Valletta, Malta, contributed to this report.
A Maltese port manager is killed at a fish market in Puntland by Al-Shabaab militants disguised as fishermen.