Military Court slaps former captain with death sentence for smuggling explosives into capital

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Armed Forces Court has on Thursday slapped Sharif Mohamed Barkhadle (Ayaanle) with a death sentence after he was found guilty of smuggling explosives into the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The Court found that Ayaanle had enabled the infiltration of vehicle-laden explosives into Mogadishu on diverse dates in 2019 and in March 2022, which led to the killing of nearly 30 people and injuries to many more.

Ayaanle was also found guilty of selling two 60-pound mortars and 40 rounds of ammunition.

The terror attack on Aden Ade International Airport on March 23, 2022, put Ayaanle in the spotlight, but he was able to evade the police dragnet until November 19, 2022, when sleuths from the National Intelligence Agency closed in on him. 

The court directed that he face a firing squad for his brutal acts that have cost the precious lives of many and left others with injuries. He was, however, allowed to appeal the sentence within a stipulated period as laid out by the Military Court.