The Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Al-Shabaab militant group executed six Somali men in Buale town of the semi-autonomous region of Jubaland, Somalia on claims of spying. Buale is one the remaining towns in Jubaland where Al-Shabaab still maintains presence and control.
The executions took place on Tuesday 31st March 2020 on allegation that they were spying the group’s activities on behalf the Kenya and the U.S. The execution was announced through militant’s media.
Al-Shabaab which has suffered major losses on their side mainly inflicted by precision airstrikes and successful ground combat ambushes on their training camps and hideouts in various parts of Somalia view that its own fighter leaks the group’s plans to locals who in turn shares the gathered intelligence to U.S. military assets prompting the successful operations against the group.
The men were executed by Al-Shabaab firing squad at a public place. The reason Al-Shabaab executes people at a public place is to instill fear among its own members and more so to locals against collaborating with government and the foreign allied forces.
In the past, Al-Shabaab has executed more suspects including its own fighters over foreign spying allegations in South and Central Somalia; and especially Kenyan fighters within Al-Shabaab ranks have suffered the brunt of Al-Shabaab spying suspicion and subsequent executions charges on them.
