- Title: MALAYSIA: Body of TV cameraman killed in Somalia returns to the country
- Date: 5th September 2011
- Summary: (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) WIFE AND CHILDREN OF MOHD NOR SITTING
- Embargoed: 20th September 2011 12:49
- Keywords:
- Location: Malaysia, Malaysia
- Country: Malaysia
- Topics: Conflict
- Reuters ID: LVA2S3PK49G3Y7FMAU37MQS8DYUB
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: The body of a Malaysian television cameraman who was shot dead in the Somali capital of Mogadishu was returned to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday (September 04).
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak joined family members to receive the remains of Noramfaizul Mohd Nor that were flown in on military aircraft.
Witnesses said the 39-year-old was killed by peacekeepers on Friday (September 02) from the AMISOM force who were patrolling the city that has been the centre of an Islamist insurgency.
Mohd Nor was one of the 55 volunteers in the Putera 1Malaysia Club humanitarian mission to assist victims of the drought and famine in Somalia, state media Bernama said.
Najib said the death would not deter Malaysia's humanitarian work.
"This incident will not deter us from continuing our contribution for the sake of humanity. Instead it will inspire us to continue our work, but of course we'll try to take all necessary precautions," he said.
Mohd Nor's co-workers mourned his death.
"He was a very seasoned cameraman and also journalist that took care of us. It was a very sad incident that he had to just������� at the 11 hour when at the tail end of our mission that he unexpectedly this incident happened. No accident, it was an incident because 'tak sangka' (means out of expectation in Bahasa Malaysia). And we were not outside on the road, you know, we were inside a car.. so unfortunate," said TV anchor Melissa Ong who had been travelling in the same convoy as Mohd Nor.
Colleagues remembered him as a good companion.
"Even though it was a hot sun, we had to climb certain fences, so we have no complain about that. And I can see that he was very cheerful during all his job," said Bernama photographer, Maha Yudin Mohamad.
A spokesman for the peacekeepers said they were aware of the shooting and investigating.
The 9,000-strong AMISOM force is effectively all that prevents al Qaeda-affiliated rebels from overthrowing the U.N.-backed government.
The al Shabaab militants withdrew from Mogadishu last month but warned they would carry out guerrilla attacks on the coastal city such as suicide car bomb attacks and assassinations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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