Somali military court sentences 5 over terrorist attack

By Hassan Istiila

MOGADISHU, Somalia

A Somali military court on Tuesday sentenced five men convicted over last October’s devastating terrorist truck bombing in the capital Mogadishu, which killed over 500 people and injured many more.

The chief of the military court, Gen. Hassan Ali Shute, said Hassan Aden Isak was sentenced to death after being convicted of coordinating the bombing.

Abdullahi Ibrahim, convicted of being a member of the al-Shabaab group, was sentenced to life in prison, while Abdiweli Ahmed Diriye was convicted of releasing the truck bomb from the first checkpoint on the outskirts of Mogadishu.

The court ordered the release of Mukhtar Mohamed Hasasn Roble and Abdule Abdi Warsame Ali, who were found not guilty.

In the Oct. 14 terrorist attack, a truck bomb exploded outside a busy hotel at the K5 intersection lined with government offices, restaurants, and kiosks. A second blast struck the Medina district two hours later.

The bomb attacks were the deadliest since al-Shabaab began its insurgency in 2007. The group never claimed responsibility, but the government said it was behind the attack.