ISIS operative to face the firing squad for killing soldier in Mogadishu

A military court in Mogadishu has sentenced to death a member of the outlawed terrorist organisation ISIS for killing a soldier in Mogadishu.

The first division court declared Mohamed Ali Mohamed guilty of killing the officer in August 2019 at Warda Nabada district in Mogadishu.

According to the verdict read out by the judge, Colonel Hassan Shuute, Mohamed joined ISIS in Golis, Bari region and was posted to Miraale locality where he was based before being transferred to Mogadishu to be part of the group’s hit squad.

The convict confessed to taking part in two targeted killings in Mogadishu. In the first mission in Bakaro market, his group’s leader identified only as Hussein conducted the killing which according to Mohamed was part of the orientation into the killings.

Ali told the court that he was directly involved in the second mission where he killed a soldier identified
as Mohamed Abdi Dhuhulow in Sinai Market located in Warda Nabada district in Mogadishu.

It is during this mission that police officers responded and arrested Mohamed while in possession of the pistol used in the killing.

Colonel Shuute declared the accused must face the firing squad but with the option of appeal within 30
days.

The military court has sentenced several Al-Shabaab and ISIS members in the past. ISIS-Somalia
established its roots in Somalia in 2015 setting its base in Galgala mountains in Puntland.

The faction founded and led by former UK based preacher Abdulkadir Mumin later made inroads into
southern Somalia but has faced resistance from Al-Shabaab which launched a campaign in 2017 to kick
the group out of the capital Mogadishu and its outskirts.