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Somali Military Court Sentences Al Shabaab Operatives to Life for Recruiting, Car Bomb Preparations

Storyline:Security, War on Al-Shabaab

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: A Somali military court has sentenced two Al Shabaab operatives to life in prison for recruiting fighters and preparing vehicle-borne explosive devices used in deadly attacks in Mogadishu.

Muhiyadin Abdisalam Mohamud, also known as Daqare, was convicted of long-term membership in Al Shabaab and recruiting militants since 2009.

Prosecutors said two of his recruits were behind high-profile attacks, including the 2019 Mogadishu Mall bombing and a blast near Hotel Weheliye. He was also linked to a former district official convicted of collaborating with the group.

In a separate but related case, Abdinasir Mohamed Hassan, alias Moallim Haji, a mechanic by trade, was sentenced to life for modifying vehicles for Al Shabaab operations.

The court found he removed vehicle identification numbers (VINs), forged documentation, and assisted in converting cars into VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices).

“These are not ordinary crimes. These individuals helped enable mass-casualty attacks targeting civilians and government institutions,” the court said in its ruling.

Three accomplices also received prison terms for their supporting roles in attacks across the capital.

Abdi Ahmed Dini received a four-year sentence for involvement in the preparation of one of the twin blasts at Mogadishu’s Zobe junction in October 2022, which killed over 130 people. He also helped facilitate attacks on the Beach View and SYL hotels.

Dini was found to have introduced fellow mechanic Maadey Abdi Hussein, who serviced vehicles later used by al Shabaab in Kubyo Barrow. Hussein was sentenced to two years in prison. Another accomplice, Issa Maadeey Abdi Hussein, received a one-year sentence.

The verdicts come amid intensified efforts by Somali authorities to weaken Al Shabaab’s operational networks, particularly in urban areas.

The militant group, which has waged a violent insurgency against the Somali government for over a decade, continues to carry out attacks despite a sustained military campaign involving Somali forces and international partners.