Two journalists have been shot at and wounded in the last two days in what continues to be a hostile environment for journalists, according to the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

Voice of America (VOA) reporter Mohammed Yasin Isak was shot in the shoulder Tuesday evening at around 8 p.m. while returning to his office in Galkayo, in the Mudug region of Somalia.

Isak was reportedly driving to his office when he was stopped at a Puntland police checkpoint along the main road in Galkayo. He told NUSOJ that after being stopped, he was told to drive on – only to have another police officer begin firing at his car. One of the bullets pierced the window, hitting Isak in the left shoulder. He was taken to a private hospital in the city, and his condition is reportedly stable.

At around 10 a.m. this morning, Abdirahman Warsame of Xinhua news agency was shot while covering the heavy fighting that continues to rage between the Somali government, African Union forces and insurgents.  He was reportedly standing in front of Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, when he was hit by a stray bullet.

NUSOJ Press Freedom Coordinator Mohamed Ibrahim Isak confirmed to IPI that Warsame is in stable condition and recovering at his home. “We are very sorry for the attacks against these journalists working in this hostile environment, and wish them a good recovery,” he told IPI. Referring to conditions in Mogadishu, he added, “I ask all warring parties to respect the safety of journalists covering the fighting.”

According to Burhan Ahmed Dahir, NUSOJ’s coordinator for the Puntland region, there is reason to suspect that Yasin Isak was targeted for his journalism.

Dahir told IPI that Isak was singled out for criticism by Col. Muse Ahmed Abdirahman, head of the Mudug region police division, at a meeting yesterday. According to Dahir, journalists in Galkayo had met to discuss strategies for dealing with violence at the hands of security forces when Abdirahman appeared uninvited.  The police head reportedly told Isak that his work was being followed and that police “know what you are disseminating these days through the media.” He also accused the journalists of being provocative.

The acting Puntland minister of information has apologized personally for the incident, said Dahir, adding that the minister will meet with the NUSOJ representative to discuss the affair tomorrow.  Nonetheless, Dahir is pessimistic about the possibility of a police inquiry into the shooting, describing the local police force as “corrupt, irresponsible and weak.”

The shootings come as part of a recent spree of violence against Somali journalists. Six Somali journalists have been killed since the beginning of 2009.

“The International Press Institute is deeply concerned by the shootings of Mohammed Yasin Isak and Abdirahman Warsame,” said IPI Deputy Director Alison Bethel-McKenzie. “We call on security forces of all stripes in Somalia to respect the right of journalists to carry out their duties, and to defend the safety of journalists to the best of their ability.”