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A popular Somalia comedian, who was known for his parodies of Islamist militants, has reportedly been shot dead in Mogadishu. Abdi Jeylani Marshale was killed shortly after he left a local radio station where he worked as a drama producer and performer. Witnesses told the BBC that Marshale was shot several times in the head and chest by two men armed with pistols. According to The Guardian, last year Marshale was threatened by the extremist group al-Shabaab, prompting him to go into hiding in neighbouring Somaliland for several days. The paper quoted Yusuf Keynan, a presenter at Kulmiye Radio, where Marshale worked, as saying that 'he had not done anything wrong to anybody, but they shot him in the head and shoulders' "This is a black day for the entire entertainment industry. He was a leader in Somalia comedy and everybody liked his performance," Keynan added. Marshale also worked for Universal TV, a London-based Somali satellite TV station.

Somali comedian shot dead for parodying Islamists