20100412
AFRICA NEWS

Unknown gun men have shot dead a foreign oil worker in southren Ethiopia, reports said. British oil worker Jason Read was killed during an attack near Danot in the war-torn Ogaden region on Monday.

The 39-year-old worked for IMC Geophysics International which was formed under Malaysian oil giant Petronas. The company said in a statement "it was shocked and saddened by the killing".

Read, who was from the Portsmouth area, was with a driver and a military escort as they were ambushed. The others were believed to be injured after returning fire, BBC reported.

"Jason was working on our crew 894 which was undertaking a seismic survey on behalf of Petronas Carigali when Jason, his driver and military escort came under unprovoked attack from armed persons unknown”, the statement added.

The company said a full investigation is underway into the incident.

Read, who also spent time in Uganda, had been working with the company since 2004.