In Somalia, two prominent radio journalists were assassinated within hours of each other on Saturday in Mogadishu. Both journalists were leading figures at the radio station HornAfrik, and one was also a freelance correspondent for the McClatchy newspapers. Mahad Ahmed Elmi was shot three times in the head by an unknown assailant as he arrived for work on Saturday morning. The killing occurred just 200 yards from the entrance to the radio station. HornAfrik’s co-founder, Ali Iman Sharmarke, died after a land mine exploded under his car. He had just returned from Elmi’s funeral. Colleagues said they were assassinated in retaliation for broadcasts critical of Somalia’s pro-U.S. interim government. The Somali government has repeatedly cracked down on independent media outlets that air critical reports. In June, authorities briefly forced the closure of HornAfrik and two other radio stations that it accused of “supporting terrorism.” On Friday, police stormed the Shabelle radio station and held several journalists for hours.