Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire on Monday sacked the country's religious affairs and endowment minister Hassan Moalim Hussein, who had been in office for less than two months.

Khaire in a decree issued in Mogadishu said the dismissal took immediate effect and that Hussein's deputy will take over until the appointment of the new minister.

The prime minister did not give reasons for the drastic action on Hussein who is also a Member of Parliament.

Sources linked Hussein's sacking to failure to implement a government policy on religion matters.