Two ‘spies’ publicly executed in Somalia

In Somalia, two men were executed on Monday by a 10-person firing squad. They were – according to Al-Shabaab, the militant Islamic group ruling large areas of Somalia – guilty of espionage. One was “beyond any shadow of doubt” working for the CIA, and the other, working for the African Union peacekeeping troops, who are supporting the US-backed government.

No additional details were released to the public other than the fact that the two men allegedly confessed to being spies.

Al-Shabaab is widely believed to be connected to Al Qaeda. The group has imposed the rule of strict Islamic law in the regions of Somalia currently under its control, which includes parts of Mogadishu, the country’s capital.

Fundamentalist Islamic law means public punishments like flogging, execution, and severing limbs are all within the realm of normal.

Some analysts believe that Monday’s executions were in retaliation for a US mission carried out last month, in which an attack on southern Somalia reportedly succeeded in killing an Al Qaeda operative responsible for attacks in Kenya.