Somalia Executes 2 Militants Convicted of Assassinations
MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Somali government on Wednesday executed two men convicted of killing four lawmakers and an intelligence officer in a series of attacks, officials said.
The two men were identified as Shuceb Ibrahim Mahdi, 37, and Farah Ali Abdi, 30. The Somali authorities say they were members of theShabab militant group. A military court in Mogadishu, the capital, had tried and convicted the defendants, who were then executed by a firing squad at a police academy.
Among the lawmakers killed was Saado Ali Warsame, a popular singer, who was shot in Mogadishu in July.
The Somali government has carried out similar public executions ofShabab members. Shabab fighters have frequently carried out assassinations, suicide attacks and roadside bombings against government officials and the African Union forces in Somalia, and against civilian targets, including hotels.
