Somali residents arrive with the body of Mohamed Nuxurkey, a local journalist who died in Monday's blast
Somali residents arrive with the body of Mohamed Nuxurkey, a local journalist who died in a blast (Reuters)

A Somali woman radio journalist has been shot dead in the latest murder of a reporter in the war-torn capital.

Rahmo Abdukadir, who worked for the private radio Abduwaq station, was gunned down by two men while she was heading to her home at Suuq Bacaad marke of Yaaqshiid neighbourhood, according to journalist Munira Ahmed.

"One of our female staff members was shot and killed in Mogadishu," said director of radio, Abduwaq Abdikarin Ahmed. "We don't know why she was killed but we are in shock."

Some witnesses reported that a number of men approached Abdukadir and fired at her repeatedly.

"Two men armed with pistols shot the woman. They fired their guns five times before fleeing," witness Abdi Moalin Shire said.

"There was another girl who accompanied the victim but the gunmen did not target her. She ran away screaming for help," said Issa Mohamed.

Abdukadir is the third journalist to be killed in 2013.

Abdihared Adan, a journalist working for the Shabelle Media Network, was shot dead in January near his house in Mogadishu. He led campaigns that criticised the government. Another reporter, Mohamed Nuxurkey, was killed in a suicide bomb blast outside the national theatre.

The Somalian government has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the "successful conviction of a journalist kiler".

In 2012, at least 18 media workers were killed. No one has been charged with their killings.

The Doha Centre for Media Freedom said that the situation for journalists "continues to deteriorate.

"As long as journalists' murderers remain unpunished Somalia's media will keep on suffering, which will have serious consequences for the nation as a whole," a spokesperson said.

Earlier in March, journalists in Somalia claimed they were threatened at gunpoint and beaten by police as they tried to cover a court case in Mogadishu.

The lack of press freedom garnered worldwide attention after Abdiaziz Abdinur Ibrahim interviewed an alleged rape victim, Lul Barake, and both were sentenced to a year in prison.

Somalia