The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of publishers, editors and leading journalists, condemned the killing of the director of the Shabelle Media Network in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday, and called for an end to impunity for journalist killers in the war-torn country.

Hassan Osman Abdi, 29, who was also known as “Fantastic”, was followed from his office by a group of armed men who shot him near his home, reports from the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and Reporters without Borders (RSF) said. He is reportedly survived by three children and his wife.

At the time of Abdi’s burial on Sunday no group had yet claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Shabelle Media Network’s website. The radio and television network is among the most popular privately-owned media companies in southern Somalia, and was the winner of a 2010 press freedom prize from Paris-based watchdog group Reporters without Borders.

It is believed that Abdi was killed because of his work covering politics and corruption, NUSOJ said in a statement. “All of the union officials are alarmed and saddened by the murder of Abdi which has removed [a] cherished official in the union ranks and a respected colleague from the journalism fraternity,” NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman said.

“The murder of Hassan Osman Abdi shows the continued deadly threat faced by journalists in Somalia as a result of lawlessness and impunity,” said IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. “Our condolences go out to the family and colleagues of this journalist. We deeply admire the courage of Mr. Abdi and all the journalists of Somalia who are working hard to bring news to their fellow citizens despite the dangers and uncertainty.”