– Somalia will set up a regional commission to probe the killing of seven health workers and report publicly within a month, the head of Hirshabelle state told Reuters on Friday, as the United Nations condemned what it called an outrage.
Masked men abducted the health workers from a healthcare facility in Galooley village, 30 km (19 miles) north of Mogadishu, on Wednesday. Their bodies were found on Thursday.
The kidnapping happened hours after an explosion targeted a Somali military vehicle in the area, a relative of one of the health workers told Reuters, asking not to be identified. It was unclear if the events were related. The federal government did not respond to requests for comment.
The al Shabaab Islamist insurgency is also active in the region, but could not be reached for comment.
President Mohamed Abdi Ware of Hirshabelle State in Somalia said he was forming his own commission of inquiry led by the state justice minister. They will publish their report within a month, he said.