The body of Paul Anthony Formosa, the Maltese port manager murdered in Somalia, will be repatriated by his employer, P&O Ports.

A Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman said the Dubai government-owned company was making all arrangements and the ministry had offered its support.

The company could not be reached for comment.

Mr Formosa, 52, from Marsascala, was killed by two gunmen on Monday in the port of Bosaso in the semi-autonomous Puntland state.

According to media reports, the gunmen, who had disguised themselves as fishermen, were armed with pistols and shot Mr Formosa several times in the head.

One of the assailants was shot dead by security forces on the spot and another was shot and captured but died later of his wounds. Three other port employees were injured in the attack and were receiving treatment, according to the Dubai government.

Deal sparked violent protests

Terrorist group Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack and said it was “part of broader operations targeting the mercenary companies that loot the Somali resources”.

P&O Ports, where Mr Formosa had worked as a construction project manager since August 2017, was granted a controversial concession in April 2017 to develop and operate the port.

Read: Murdered Maltese port manager remembered

The deal, declared void by the central Somali government, sparked violent protests during which at least one person was killed.

Regional experts told Times of Malta the Puntland region had largely been spared the chaos that engulfed the rest of Somalia and that the attack was intended as a message against Dubai’s economic interests in the region.

Mr Formosa had worked at the Malta Freeport between 1993 and 2011 before leaving to take up a post in Lattakia, Syria. His career also included stints in Saudi Arabia, India and Sudan.