Mogadishu, Somalia – Two former Somali National Army soldiers, Mohamed Hussein Bulle and Adam Isak Yarow, were executed by firing squad on Monday following their conviction by a military court for plotting to assassinate a senior army commander.
According to the Somali Armed Forces tribunal, the pair—once members of the elite 14 October Battalion—were found guilty of conspiring with Al-Shabaab militants to kill the commander of the 83rd Division, Aydid Mohamed Ali. The court determined that they had collaborated in planting a powerful explosive device intended to target the commander.
The plot was foiled, but prosecutors presented evidence linking the ex-soldiers to the terror network and detailing their direct involvement in the operation. Military judges ruled that their actions constituted high treason and terrorism, warranting the death penalty under Somali military law.
The executions, carried out in Mogadishu, underscore the government’s hardline stance on insider threats within its security forces, especially amid heightened concerns over infiltration by extremist groups.
Military officials said the case serves as a warning to serving personnel against collusion with armed groups, stressing that betrayal of the army will be met with the full force of the law.
The Somali government has in recent years intensified military court proceedings against soldiers accused of aiding militant groups, as part of its broader campaign to combat Al-Shabaab’s insurgency and secure strategic military leadership.