Hodan Nalayeh, the Somali-Canadian journalist killed on Friday in a deadly attack by Al-Shabaab in Kismayo was pregnant at the time she died, family members have disclosed.
At least 26 people were killed in the strike which saw Al-Shabaab militants temporarily take over Kismayo before being repulsed by KDF soldiers in AMISOM.
The 43-year-old mother of two was the founder of Integration TV which focused on positive stories of the war torn Horn of Africa nation. She moved to Somalia in 2018.
Family sources said she married Farid Jama at a private wedding in Nairobi last year and the two have been promoting peace and stability in the country.
"She spent her life devoted to serving the Somali people and reporting on positive, uplifting stories" in order to "spread light and love to the Somali world".
"She brought inspiration and hope to the Somali people through storytelling. She will be deeply missed," the statement said.
In a past interview, She told the podcast Meaningful Work, Meaningful Life that social media had "changed the game for how people learn about culture".
"If we don't become the creators of our own content, we are going to be at the mercy of other people telling the stories of Africa," she said, according to CBC.
Canada's Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen - himself of Somali origin - said Nalayeh had highlighted the Somali community's contributions in Canada.
"She became a voice for many. We mourn her loss deeply, and all others killed in the Kismayo attack," he said.
Intergration TV was founded in 2014 and at first broadcasted from Canada before she moved to Somalia. She had a postgraduate diploma in journalism.