Al-Shabaab militants have carried out the public execution of 10 young men in the towns of Bu’aale and Kuunya Baroow in Somalia’s Middle Juba region, according to local residents and eyewitnesses.
Reports from Bu’aale indicate that the group summoned residents to an open square in the center of the town, where five young men were presented before a crowd. Al-Shabaab accused the individuals of acting as “spies” before executing them on the spot.
Local sources confirmed that the five men were shot dead immediately after the accusations were publicly announced.
In a similar incident in Kuunya Baroow, five other young men were executed in a public square after being accused by Al-Shabaab of collaborating with the Federal Government of Somalia. Witnesses said the executions took place in front of a large gathering of civilians, with the killings carried out openly.
The latest executions come amid a pattern of similar incidents in areas under Al-Shabaab control across southern Somalia. Just two weeks ago, five young men were publicly executed in the town of Jilib after being accused of espionage.
The public killings have heightened fear and anxiety among residents in territories controlled by the group, as such incidents continue to recur in parts of southern Somalia.
