Military court sentences Al-Shabaab bomb expert to life in prison

[Deeq A.]

One Al-Shabaab militant was sentenced to life in prison on Sunday while two others were condemned to serve ten years jails terms after they were found guilty of being associated with the militant insurgent group.

A Somali military court found Mohamed Ali Abdi, Ahmed Adan Weerar and Mohamed Abdirahman Mohamud of being Al-Shabab members.

Col. Hassan Ali Shute, the chairperson of the court said the court found 30-year old Mohamed Mohamud Mohamed guilty of heading an Al-Shabaab terrorist cell.

” Mohamed Mohamud was found guilty of being Al-Shabaab trainer and leading a cell of Al-Shabaab bomb makers,” said Shute.

The court handed Mohamed life imprisonment as Mohamed Ali Abdi and  Ahmed Adan Weerar, who themselves were trained by Mohamed got 10 years in jail terms each.

“Therefore after reviewing all the evidence, Mohamed Mohamud will serve life in jail whereas Mohamed Ali Abdi and  Ahmed Adan Weerar who were trained by the first defendant will face 10 years in jail,” Shute ruled.

The trio were arrested early this month by Somali forces while preparing explosives at a house in Eilasha Biyaha area outside Mogadishu.

The militant group has been waging deadly bomb attacks in Mogadishu and other towns since 2011 when its fighters lost the control of Mogadishu to African Union-backed Somali government forces.

Last Thursday, a car packed with explosive went off near Wehliye Hotel along the busy Makka Almukarama road in Mogadishu, killing 17 and wounding 22 others seriously.

Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaida affiliate group claimed the responsibility for the attack.