UN envoy condemns lawmakers' killing in Somalia

A top UN official in Somalia Tuesday strongly condemned the murder of Somali lawmaker Abdelaziz Isaq Mursal, the second one to have been killed in less than 48 hours in the capital city of Mogadishu.

Nicholas Kay, the UN Secretary-General's special representative for Somalia, said he was concerned by the recent attacks seen in Mogadishu and called on the authorities to investigate them and bring the perpetrators to justice at the earliest, Xinhua quoted UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric as telling reporters here at the daily briefing.

Mursal was shot dead by unknown gunmen Tuesday following the death of Isaq Mohamed Riino, who was killed Monday when an improvised explosive device planted in his vehicle detonated.

Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the killing of the two parliamentarians and the militants vowed to continue targeting Somali government officials.

"The people responsible for these heinous crimes have nothing to offer the Somali people but violence and insecurity," said Kay, adding that he was also saddened by the shooting death of a media worker in Mogadishu last night.