MOGADISHU, Somalia — Al-Shabab militants publicly executed 10 men by firing squad in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle and Middle Juba regions, residents and monitoring groups said.
The first execution took place in Bu’ale, Middle Juba, where five young men were shot after being accused of spying for the Somali federal government and its international allies, according to witnesses.
In Kunyobarrow, Lower Shabelle, five more men were publicly executed. Al-Shabab accused them of gathering intelligence for the Somali government and the United States.
The group said the men had coordinated attacks against its fighters in both regions and were found guilty by a court affiliated with Al-Shabab.
Residents said they were forced to watch the executions, and senior Al-Shabab officials were reportedly present at both sites.
The execution comes as Al-Shabab faces growing pressure from Somali army and international airstrikes, which officials say have weakened the group.
Despite air and ground operations, Al-Shabab continues to carry out deadly attacks on army bases in south and central Somalia.
For the last three months, the militant group seized several towns following pre-dawn attacks that began with suicide explosions, followed by gun battles.
Al-Shabab still holds large swaths of rural territory, including the Middle Jubba region, where its top leaders have been based since being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011.