A Somali court has sentenced former Captain Sharif Mohamed Barjadle to death for smuggling explosives into the country’s capital, Mogadishu, which were later used in attacks by the jihadist organization Al Shabaab that killed nearly 30 civilians.
The First Grade Military Court on Thursday convicted Barjadle of «facilitating the infiltration of car bombs in the capital» between 2019 and 2022. These vehicles were used in attacks such as those that occurred on January 14, 2019 at the Village Hotel; on February 4, 2019 at Bar Italia or Lido Beach on May 27 of the same year. These attacks resulted in at least 27 deaths and dozens of wounded.
Likewise, the former captain, alias ‘Ayaanle’, was found guilty of selling mortars and more than 40 shells, according to the verdict reported by the official Somali news agency SONNA.
Ayaanle was nearly caught after the Aden Adde International Airport bombing in March last year, but managed to evade security forces until November 19, when he was finally apprehended.
Following this verdict, the 53-year-old former captain will be executed by firing squad on a date yet to be determined, as he is still able to appeal the sentence.
THE «TOTAL WAR» AGAINST TERROR CONTINUES On the other hand, the Somali authorities have confirmed new advances in the «total war» declared by the president of the country, Hassan Shaykh Mohamud, against the jihadist organization and other terrorist groups in Somalia, starting with the reconquest of the area of El Badu, in the region of Middle Shabelle, during the last hours.
The recovery was confirmed by the spokesman of the Somali Ministry of Defense, Abdulahi Ali Aanod, who confirmed the deployment of forces in between the border between Hirshabelle and Galmudug, until now a major point of activity of Al Shabaab.
It has also been learned in the last hours of the death of the head of operations of the Islamic State in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland, Abu Albara Al Amani.
According to a statement issued by the Puntland Police and reported by the portal Hiraan on Line, the operation took place on Thursday in the region of Bari, specifically in the area of Balidhidhin.
Al Amani was a native of the Ethiopian region of Amhara and had forced several compatriots to join the Islamic State in this Somali state, according to the police.
Within Puntland, Islamic State has been operating since 2015 in the Galgala mountain ranges and on several occasions has tried to advance towards the central-southern regions of the country, including the capital Mogadishu, but has not succeeded due to the strong resistance presented precisely by Al Shabaab.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
