Editor TLN
Jan. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –
A Somali court has sentenced former captain Sharif Mohamed Barjadle to death for smuggling explosives into the country’s capital, Mogadishu, later used in attacks by the jihadist organization Al Shabaab that resulted in the death of nearly thirty civilians.
The First Degree Military Court sentenced Barjadle on Thursday for “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 the Lido beach on May 27 of this year. These attacks resulted in at least 27 deaths and dozens of injuries.
Likewise, the former captain, alias ‘Ayaanle’, was found guilty of selling mortars and more than 40 projectiles, according to the verdict collected by the official Somali news agency SONNA.
Ayaanle was on the verge of being caught after the attack on Aden Adde International Airport in March last year, but managed to evade security forces until November 19, when he was finally caught.
Following this verdict, the 53-year-old former captain will be executed by firing squad on a date not yet specified, since he is still qualified 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 country’s president, Hasan Sheikh Mohamud, against the jihadist organization and other terrorist groups in Somalia, beginning with the reconquest of the El Badu area, in the Middle Shabelle region, during the last hours.
The recovery was confirmed by the spokesman for the Somali Defense Ministry, Abdulahi Ali Aanod, who has confirmed the deployment of forces on the border between Hirshabelle and Galmudug, until now an important point of Al Shabaab activity.
Likewise, it has also been known 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 collected by the Hiraan on Line portal, the operation took place on Thursday in the Bari region, specifically in the Balidhidhin area.
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, the Islamic State has been operating in the Galgala mountain ranges since 2015 and has tried on several occasions to advance into the central-southern regions of the country, including the capital, Mogadishu, but has not succeeded due to the strong resistance put up precisely by Al. Shabaab.
