Somali militant group al-Shabab has beheaded four civilians whom it accused of spying for the Somali federal government and Jubaland State administration.
The executions took place Sunday in the town of Jamame, west of the port city of Kismayo. The four men were accused of collaborating with authorities on counterterrorism efforts, including drone strikes that have targeted the extremist group.
The terror group said it killed Siyad Ali Abdi, 26, Ahmed Ibrahim, 28, Yusuf Makaran, 58, and Abdullahi Omar, 26, the Associated Press reported.
“The four men slaughtered in public were all civilians,” Jubaland’s regional troop spokesman, Ahmed Mohamud Arab, told VOA’s Somali Service. “They [al-Shabab] suspected that they were working for us.”
The victims were arrested a week ago and brought to a public square for the execution. Al-Shabab announced the execution in advance through the radio station the group operates, and called on the residents to attend after midday prayers.
Osman Galey was one of the residents who attended the execution. “It was disturbing, and I couldn’t continue to watch,” he told VOA’s Somali Service.
The militant group often carries out executions, especially when there are military operations targeting their territories.
In November 2016, the terrorist group beheaded five civilians in Tieglow town in Somalia’s Bakool region.
Some information in this report comes from the Associated Press.
