This execution, which took place last Friday [20 February], targeted 10 men whom the group claimed had been sentenced to death by their court.

In Bu’aale district, Middle Juba region and one of the group’s strongholds, five of the men were publicly executed in an open area.

Officials from the Al-Shabaab sharia court and members of their militia were present, and local residents were called to witness the executions, which the group uses to intimidate the population in the areas they control.

Eyewitnesses said an Al-Shabaab firing squad shot the men dead, and their bloodied bodies were then displayed under the scorching sun for hours, forcing local residents to watch before the militants later returned to bury them.

The second incident involved the execution of five more men in the Kunyo-Barrow area of Lower Shabelle, also on Friday.

Residents of Kunyo-Barrow, a small agricultural town, were similarly summoned to watch the execution.

The group claimed that their court found the accused guilty of spying. All of those executed were Somali.

Al-Shabaab has previously executed people accused of assisting drone strikes against territories under their control, often targeting leaders within the group.

Sources speaking to Kaab TV reported that Al-Shabaab detains people from passenger vehicles, particularly those suspected of having links to the government or whose relatives are members of the security forces.

Al-Shabaab courts do not hold open trials, and there are no independent lawyers to defend the accused.

Independent media are also not allowed in the areas controlled by Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group affiliated with Al-Qaida.

These killings in Bu’aale and Kunyo-Barrow represent the largest number of people executed at one time by the group on accusations of spying.

The executions occurred at the start of Ramadan, a holy month observed by Muslims.

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