Al-Shabaab executes 6 over alleged spying for US intelligence in Somalia

Members of the al-Shabab terrorist militia undergo training at a camp outside Mogadishu, Somalia, on Nov. 4, 2009. (Associated Press Photo)

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Six men accused of being spies of the US were on Thursday executed by Al-Shabaab, the group claimed in a statement amid a crackdown against the terror group.

The group, which is an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, claimed that the six, who it termed "serial" spies of the US, were executed in Saakow town within the Middle Jubba region of southern Somalia, which is the stronghold of the militants for several years now according to security forces.

Al-Shabaab claimed that two of those executed were accused of playing a lead role in the death of Mohamed Abdinur Marwazi and Abdulkadir Commandos, two senior Al-Shabaab leaders by drone strikes in 2019 and 2020 respectively, following a US military crackdown in the area.

The United States confirmed the death of the two militants who had bounties on their heads through the US Africa Command, then under General Stephen Townsend. Commandos were believed to be a senior Al-Shabaab commanders through rank at the time of his death.

Execution of the six comes as the last couple of months, the Somali National Army [SNA] with assistance from the US Africa Command and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] has been raiding villages across the country.

Significant progress has been made in the Hiiraan, Galgadud, and Bay regions, where the military has managed to seize several strategic towns from the militants besides killing dozens of them. As of this week, over 300 Al-Shabaab militants had been killed in the last 30 days.

The group, analysts say, does not give the accused opportunity to be represented by their lawyers, and the death of the convicted is usually activated by the firing squad. This is not an isolated incident because hundreds of civilians have been eliminated in a similar version before.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the president of Somalia, has often expressed optimism that the group will be eventually defeated. The president, who has been calling for support from various stakeholders, maintained that the group will be fought both militarily and ideologically.

On ideologies, the president noted that the government will target revenue generation channels for Al-Shabaab militants, a move that will sabotage them financially. The group controls huge swathes of rural central and southern Somalia and is seeking to topple the government.

GAROWE ONLINE