Somalia Executes Soldiers Convicted of Assassinating Military Commander

By: Chioma Madonna Ndukwu

Two Somali soldiers were executed on Monday after being found guilty of collaborating with the armed group Al Shabab in the assassination of a senior military commander, according to officials from Somalia’s military court.

The executions followed a ruling in August, when a military tribunal in Mogadishu sentenced the pair to death for their role in the killing of their battalion commander, Aided Mohamed Ali, in July 2025.

Investigations revealed that one soldier received an explosive device, which the other placed under the commander’s bed. The device was later detonated remotely, resulting in the commander’s death.

Military prosecutor Hassan Siyad Mohamed confirmed the execution, stating the men were held accountable for their actions against the national army.

In a separate statement, the chairman of Somalia’s Supreme Military Court, Liban Ali Yarrow, emphasized the government’s zero-tolerance stance on collaboration with armed groups. “Anyone proven to have ties with terrorist groups will be exposed and brought to justice,” he said.

Last week, three Al Shabab members convicted of fatal attacks in Mogadishu were also executed by firing squad.

The Somali government continues to conduct military operations against Al Shabab, a group that has waged an insurgency against the state for over a decade.