Four soldiers have been arrested in connection with the near fatal shooting of Lesotho Times editor Lloyd Mutungamiri in July last year in an operation the police say was authorized by the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF).

Mr Mutungamiri was shot and critically wounded as he arrived at his Upper Thamae home from work in the late hours of 9 July 2016 in what appeared to be a carefully orchestrated assassination attempt.

His shooting followed a rough week for the Lesotho Times during which its staff were summoned for heavy-handed interrogation by police and military officials over reports the newspaper had published about the LDF.

Publisher and chief executive officer, Basildon Peta, was charged with criminal defamation arising from a complaint laid against the newspaper by then LDF commander Tlali Kamoli. A week later, Mr Mutungamiri nearly lost his life after one of the bullets shattered his lower jaw, requiring him to undergo specialized facial surgery, among other injuries.

The Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) said yesterday that its investigations had revealed that the attempted assassination of Mr Mutungamiri was an operation authorized by the army.