In a briefing to VOA-Somali service, Colonel Ali Ibrahim Osman, deputy chairman of the Puntland military court, announced that six Moroccan nationals were sentenced to death for their engagement with Daesh operatives within the Al-Miskaat mountains in the Bari region.
“Today, our court adjudicated the cases of nine men, six of whom are Moroccan. They traversed multiple countries, aiming to disrupt the lives of our people,” Colonel Osman elucidated. “Their capture occurred in the rugged landscapes of the Bari region, where they had integrated with Daesh forces.”
Furthermore, the court imposed varying prison terms on an Ethiopian and a Somali, both implicated in aiding Daesh’s activities in Somalia. “We’ve sentenced an Ethiopian, identified as a Daesh member, alongside a Somali caught operating a vehicle laden with Daesh-related materials, to incarceration,” he added.
Among those tried were two Somalis: Abdulkadir Jama Mohamed, sentenced to ten years for transporting materials linked to ISIS, and Ayoub Jimale, who was acquitted due to insufficient evidence of his awareness of the illicit cargo destined for Daesh use.
Colonel Osman emphasized, “The apprehended individuals were not involved in direct conflict at the time of capture. They were seized in the mountains by our security forces, having concealed themselves there for over two years.”
The sentencing comes amidst a prolonged conflict, with Daesh/ISIS and Al-Shabaab factions challenging the Somali federal government, regional authorities, and the African Union peacekeeping forces since 2007.
Halqabsi News
