Kismayo, (insidesomalia.org) - An official working for the port of Kismayo, in Somalia's south, was shot and killed Tuesday by a group of unidentified gunmen, witnesses said.

The victim was identified as Mahad Adan Arabey, the treasurer of the port of Kismayo.

Two other civilians were wounded in the crossfire when the attackers indiscriminately opened gunfire at a crowded place. The killers escaped immediately.

An elder in Kismayo suggested that the late Arabey's murder is linked to a series of "revenge clan killings" that have taken place recently.

Kismayo, the country's third-largest city, is ruled by clan leaders independently of Somalia's Ethiopian-backed transitional federal government.

Earlier this month, BBC reporter Nasteh Dahir was shot and killed in Kismayo and no suspects have been detained for his murder so far.