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Court hands death sentence to Somali truck bomber

| Updated: February 10, 2018 11:25:21


A Somali gestures as he walks past a dead body, left, and destroyed buildings at the scene of a blast in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia on Sunday. (AP photo used for representation) A Somali gestures as he walks past a dead body, left, and destroyed buildings at the scene of a blast in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia on Sunday. (AP photo used for representation)

Somalia's military court has sentenced a man to death for his role in the country's deadliest bomb attack last year that killed at least 500 people in the capital Mogadishu.

Hassan Adan Isaq was accused of leading an al-Shabab unit said to have carried out the truck attack on 14 October 2017.

During the trial, the 23-year-old had denied any involvement, says a BBC report.

Another suspect was sentenced in absentia to life in jail, while a third man received a three-year prison term.

It is a rare case of a high-profile investigation leading to a suspect being convicted for an attack in Somalia.

The October bombing sparked angry street protests against al Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked militant group that carries out most of the bombings in Somalia.

The government also blamed the Islamist group. But al Shabaab denied any involvement in the attack.

More than 150 of the victims were burned beyond recognition after the huge explosion that destroyed hotels, government offices and restaurants.

Hundreds of people were wounded, and many of them were later flown to Turkey, Sudan and Kenya for treatment.

A 22,000-strong African Union force (Amisom) is deployed in Somalia trying to help the government recapture territory from al-Shabab, whose fighters are active in much of rural southern regions.

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