Three Al-Shabaab members executed in Mogadishu

Mogadishu (HOL) – A military court in Mogadishu executed three men belonging to Al-Shabaab on Wednesday by firing squad for committing capital offences. The three men were identified as Mohammed Abdulle Abkow Omar (Biyamalow), Sharif Mohamed Barkhadle Ayanle (Jeego), and Mohamed Abdi Nur Jirow (Doctor Fanah). Two of the executed men were former members of the Somali Armed Forces, while the third was a senior Al-Shabaab operative who posed as a doctor while being in charge of the group’s security.

The court found all three men guilty of killing civilians and government officials, as well as orchestrating explosions that resulted in numerous deaths, particularly in Mogadishu. The Somali government appears to be expediting the execution of death sentences, as all three men were convicted in military courts in recent months.

Mohamed Abdi Jirow, also known as Dr. Fanah, was sentenced to death by Somalia’s armed forces court in mid-January. Jirow posed as a neurologist and had fake military ranks and identity cards from international organizations. He even acquired military uniforms adorned with the rank of ‘major.’ During a televised court hearing, he admitted to organizing a suicide attack against clan delegates during the election of federal MPs last year.

Mohammed Abdulle Abkow Omar was found guilty in mid-December of plotting a terror attack on Aden Abdulle Airport in Mogadishu. Omar, who was dismissed from the Somali Armed Forces in 2018, joined Al-Shabaab and was responsible for transporting the two attackers who killed a member of Somalia’s specialized police force at the airport in March 2022. Omar was also convicted of being involved in an explosion that targeted the Villa Baidoa military base.

Mohamed Barkhadle Ayanle, a former captain in the SNA, was sentenced to death on January 12 for facilitating terror attacks on behalf of Al Shabaab. Ayanle aided the group in planting car bombs throughout Mogadishu that killed a total of 27 people in 2019. The court found that Ayanle allowed Al Shabaab to travel through checkpoints and park their explosive-laden vehicles in busy commercial areas. Ayanle was also found guilty of selling weapons to the group, later used to shell Mogadishu.

Ayanle’s conviction came after the arrest of several government soldiers involved in the Villa Rays hotel attack in Mogadishu that killed eight civilians on November 28.