Somalia’s semi-autonomous state of Puntland carried out the execution of 10 fighters affiliated with the Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab on Saturday. The executions, conducted by firing squad in Galkayo, followed a military court trial where the fighters were sentenced to death for their involvement in assassinations and bombings in various locations within Galkayo.
The Islamist group al-Shabaab, linked to Al Qaeda, emerged in the early 2000s with the goal of establishing an Islamic state in Somalia. The country has been plagued by instability for over two decades, lacking a functional national government and enduring widespread conflict. The executions were carried out after the fighters were convicted by the armed forces’ supreme court, according to police sources cited by AFP.
Al-Shabaab initially gained support by promising to provide security to the Somali population. However, their reputation suffered a significant blow when they refused Western food aid during the devastating 2011 drought and famine, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Somalia.
For nearly two decades, the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab insurgents have been engaged in a violent struggle to overthrow Somalia’s central government and establish their own rule based on their strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.
The executions come amid a recent surge in violence by al-Shabaab. On Saturday, a suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a crowded beach in the Somali capital Mogadishu, resulting in the deaths of 37 people and injuries to many more. This attack marked one of the deadliest in the East African country in recent months.
In June, a powerful car bomb detonated at a cafe in Mogadishu, killing five people. In March, militants carried out an hours-long siege of another Mogadishu hotel, killing three people and wounding 27. These attacks highlight the ongoing instability and danger posed by al-Shabaab in Somalia.
