Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants behead four men for being 'government spies'

The al-Qaeda linked group claims the men were found guilty by Sharia court

Tuesday 07 February 2017 09:40 GMT
Comments
Recruits from al-Shabaab, pose in the Somali capital Mogadishu
Recruits from al-Shabaab, pose in the Somali capital Mogadishu

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants have publicly beheaded four men after accusing them of spying on behalf of the government.

The al-Qaeda linked organisation confirmed the executions and said the men were found guilty by an al-Shabaab court.

"The court ruled on their cases and four of the men were executed publicly in Jamame District according to the Sharia this (Sunday) afternoon," Mohamed Abu Abdalla, al-Shabaab’s governor for the Jubba region, told Reuters.

"The four men admitted they were spies," he added.

The news comes a fortnight after the group claimed responsibility for an attack outside a luxury hotel in Mogadishu.

At least 13 people are reported to have been killed after heavy gunfire and two explosions.

Dozens of people, including politicians, were staying at the hotel at the time of the attack.

Al-Shabaab was formed in 2004 and is a breakaway faction of the former Islamic Courts Union, which ruled much of Somalia until the end of 2006. The group is seeking to reassert its dominance against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and create an Islamic state in Somalia.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in