A Somali member of parliament has been shot dead in Mogadishu by militants from the al Shabab movement, BBC reported.

MP Yusuf Mohamed Dirir died in hospital after a group of men stopped his car and proceeded to fire at him and his colleague, who was seriously injured.

Despite major setbacks in 2014, al Shabab continues to wage a deadly campaign against Somalia's government and remains a threat in the East African region.

The group has carried out attacks in neighboring countries, including Kenya, whose military is part of the African Union force backing Somalia's weak government.