Somalia: Military court releases Moroccans sentenced to death for joining ISIS

BOSASO, Somalia - The military court in Puntland has released six foreign individuals linked to the Islamic State faction in Somalia, which was founded in late 2015 by a Somali-British ex-Al-Shabaab preacher Abdulkadir Mumin.

According to authorities in Puntland, the men, who come from foreign countries, have been training fighters around the Golis mountains, and have often staged attacks around Bosaso, the commercial capital of the state.

General Abdifatah Haji Adan, the chairman of the military court, said the Ethiopian and Moroccan nationals surrendered to Puntland after escaping from the Daesh group. The IS-Somalia is affiliated with ISIS militants, who have roots in the Middle East.

The court released the six men to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, which was directed to repatriate them to their countries of origin. In addition, the court also released six children who had also been recruited to the ISIS branch in Somalia.

Two months ago, the military court in Puntland sentenced to death six Moroccans believed to be foreign fighters for the Islamic State extremist group in Somalia. The group rivals Al-Shabaab and both target innocent civilians and security teams in their cowardly attacks.

After thorough scrutiny, the six were identified as Mohamed Hassan, Ahmed Najwi, Khalid Latha, Mohamed Binu Mohamed Ahmed, Ridwan Abdulkadir Osmany, and Ahmed Hussein Ibrahim. They were accused of being members of the IS-Somalia terrorist group.

Interestingly, the military court did not reveal whether the released Moroccans are among those sentenced last month. The IS-Somalia has a huge presence around the Golis mountains and the Bari region, where they have repeatedly fought with Al-Shabaab militants as they wrestle for dominance.

Somalia has intensified the fight against terrorism, with more than 3,000 militants killed in the last two years. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud maintains the country can be able to end terrorism soon, adding that the Somali National Army is prepared to assume security responsibilities.

GAROWE ONLINE