MOGADISHU, Somalia

A military court in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, executed three al-Shabaab terrorists by firing squad on Thursday for carrying out killings and assassinations in the southwestern region of Lower Shabelle.

The execution took place in Mogadishu in the early hours of Thursday, according to the state run Somali National Television (SNTV).

The executed al-Shabaab members were identified as Qudama Hamza Yusuf, Abdi Hassan Roble and Ibrahim Omar Shama’un.

“They were found guilty of carrying out killings in Mogadishu and Lower Shabelle region,” SNTV wrote on Facebook.

The Armed Forces Court has been carrying out death penalties for years, despite pressure from international partners.

The Horn of Africa nation has not yet reformed its 1964 penal code, which currently does not include a definition of torture.

However, the United Nations Human Rights Council said that the country — having experienced years of armed conflict and political instability in recent years — has made significant progress in rebuilding state and government institutions.

Al-Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against the Somali government for more than 16 years, regularly targets security forces, government officials and civilians.