Bosasso, Somalia - Authorities in
Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region on Friday executed
seven people it said were Islamist militants who plotted to
carry out attacks, including bombings.
Awil Ahmed Farah, chairperson of the region's military
court, said the accused were members of the al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militant group fighting to overthrow the government in
Mogadishu.
"The court executed seven fighters. They were shot dead
today," he told reporters in the port city of Bosasso.
"Five of the militants were caught as they transported
explosives into Bosasso. The other two militants killed people
in Galkayo," Farah said, referring to another city in the
region.
Al-Shabaab's insurgency aims to topple Somalia's
Western-backed government and impose its strict version of Islam
on the Horn of Africa country.
The group has become more active in Puntland after being
pushed out of strongholds further south by an African Union
peacekeeping force and the Somali army.
Earlier this month, its fighters overran a military base in
Af Urur, a town about 100 km (60 miles) south of Bosasso,
killing at least 59 people.