JAMAME (SD) – Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate in the horn of Africa on Tuesday executed two people at a public square in southern Somalia amid government stepped up operation against the militants in south and central Somalia.

The execution took place in Jamame town which lies some 70 km (43 miles) north of Kismayo, the administrative capital of Jubbaland state in southern Somalia.

According to the group’s affiliate media, the group has accused one of the male victims of being sorcerer while the other one was said to be Somali government soldier.

The group’s court said in a statement that Abdullahi Hassan Omar (59) was found guilty of being a sorcerer and he confessed that he had been involving in sorcery for decades.

The court added that the man harmfully practiced the art to influence, among other unusual digressions and relationships either way.

“Abdullahi Hassan Omar was accused of being sorcerer. During the proceeding, court had asked Abdullahi his response and admitted that he learnt the sorcery from his father and he had applied it against human beings and animals. The court sentenced him to death,” Al-Shabaab judge said.

In the past decade, the militant group executed over dozens of people accused of being sorcerers but no independent sources had proved the allegations that those people were involving in sorceries.

The other victim was identified as Mohamed Mowlid Aden. The terror group accused Aden of being a government soldier.

Al-Shabaab judge said in the statement that Aden was arrested by the group’s fighters while travelling in Jubba region.

“Mohamed Mowlid Aden joined the army during era of Abdullahi Yussuf government. He was trained in Uganda and later in Isiolo town of Kenya. He acquired military skills during the training. He operated in Baidoa and Kismayo. He had been the bodyguard of the man called Ismail Sahardid for six years. The man confessed to being soldiers,” the militant said.

Hundreds of people were gathered in the public square where the terror group executed the two people and the two were executed by a firing squad

The group has executed dozens of people in the past, either by beheading or firing squad, in districts across the south and central Somalia for allegedly being members of Somali forces and the government staff.