Wednesday April 21, 2021
Garowe (HOL) - A military court in Galkayo has sentenced eight members of the insurgent group Al-Shabaab to death on Wednesday for murder.
Five of the men were convicted on Wednesday by a military court in Mudug for carrying out assassinations on behalf of the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group.
The group is said to have masterminded a spate of attacks that led to the deaths of journalists - including Farhan Jenis Abdulle in 2012 and Abdirizak Ali Abdi Silver in 2014 - as well as peacekeepers, government officials and business people.
Several of the assassinations took place in northern Galkayo.
The court said that they obtained a taped confession from the killers.
Court records indicate that their names are Feisal Gujis, Sahal Abdullahi, Idris Mohamed Afyare, Salman Mohamed Saleban, and Jama Murudi Hussein.
The court also sentenced an additional three Al-Shabaab members to death for their role in assassinations in Galkayo's Garsoor neighbourhood.
Court records said that Mohamed Abdi Rage Indhabuur, Abdirizak Ahmed Burale, and Mohamed Omar Mudey would suffer the death penalty, likely by firing squad.
Puntland has seen several high-profile assassinations in recent years perpetrated by Al-Shabaab, which employs guerrilla tactics and asymmetric warfare against targets.