A military court in the northern Somalian town of Bosaso has sentenced seven suspected al-Shabaab Islamist militants to death on Monday.
Abdifatah Haji Aden, the Chairperson of Puntland’s military court, said that the militants had been proven to be part of a high profile assassination against Puntland officials, the Voice of America (VOA) reported.
“After all the court proceedings including hearings and the presentation of evidences, the court sentences these seven men to death,” says Aden.
“They can take an appeal within 30 days otherwise the sentence will be carried out.”
However, the defendants’ lawyers said the trial was a sham. They say the trial was unfair and no credible evidence had been brought before the court.
Shortly after sentencing, some of the defendants shouted out that they were innocent.
Over the last three months, three senior Puntland officials were killed in the port city of Bosaso by suspected militants.
Meanwhile, three people were killed and three others injured early on Monday when suspected al-Shabaab militants attacked a government military post in Qalimow Village, 50 kilometres north of Mogadishu.
Witnesses and officials told VOA that those killed included two government soldiers and one militant.
– By ANA
