She was making a series of reports on Somalia with another BBC reporter Peter Greste and had just arrived in Mogadishu when she was hit. Greste suffered no injuries

Peyton was taken to hospital and was operated upon for a bullet wound to her back, but died later of internal bleeding, the BBC said.

BBC News head Helen Boaden said she would be "greatly missed... Kate was one of our most experienced and respected Foreign Affairs producers who had worked all over Africa and all over the world. "

BBC director general Mark Thopson said he was "profoundly shocked and saddened" by the killing. "Kate had worked for the BBC since 1993 and was dedicated to covering news across the African continent."

Peyton was based in Johannesburg. The reason for the shooting was not known at the time of the announcement of her death.

Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991 when the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled, following which the country has been in a state of anarchy and has been festering with factional violence, other websites have reported.