Mogadishu:
At least seven women have been killed in "barbaric" attacks in Somalia after Al Shabaab insurgents beheaded a soldier's wife, prompting revenge executions of women close to the Islamists, elders said today.
The Al Qaeda affiliated Al Shabaab earlier this week snatched two women- a soldier's wife and a chef for the government troops- before chopping the heads off both, elders in the southwestern Tiyeglow district told AFP.
"It was horrible, Al Shabaab killed two innocent women connected with the government troops," said Aliyow Isack, an elder.
In revenge, the widowed soldier and his colleagues rounded up women connected to Al Shabaab fighters.
"For the death of the two women, they arrested 10 women whom they said were wives of Al Shabaab militants, killing five before the elders rescued and freed the rest," Isack added.
Tiyeglow, in the Somalia's war-torn Bakool region, some 175 kilometres north of the capital Mogadishu, was recently wrested from the Al Shabaab by government troops, who fight alongside the UN-mandated African Union force.
Al Shabaab gunmen still control rural areas around the town and stage regular attacks, but the killings earlier this week shocked many in their brutality.
"Can you imagine what happened? It was a completely barbaric act against humans," said Mohamed Malim, another elder. "They were innocent women, some of those killed might have been married by force to the gunmen."
Mohamed Adale Hassan, a local district official, confirmed the killings and said they were investigating the attacks.
Al Shabaab rebels have carried out repeated attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya as part of their fight to overthrow the country's internationally-backed government, as well as the AU troops supporting it.
The Al Qaeda affiliated Al Shabaab earlier this week snatched two women- a soldier's wife and a chef for the government troops- before chopping the heads off both, elders in the southwestern Tiyeglow district told AFP.
"It was horrible, Al Shabaab killed two innocent women connected with the government troops," said Aliyow Isack, an elder.
In revenge, the widowed soldier and his colleagues rounded up women connected to Al Shabaab fighters.
"For the death of the two women, they arrested 10 women whom they said were wives of Al Shabaab militants, killing five before the elders rescued and freed the rest," Isack added.
Tiyeglow, in the Somalia's war-torn Bakool region, some 175 kilometres north of the capital Mogadishu, was recently wrested from the Al Shabaab by government troops, who fight alongside the UN-mandated African Union force.
Al Shabaab gunmen still control rural areas around the town and stage regular attacks, but the killings earlier this week shocked many in their brutality.
"Can you imagine what happened? It was a completely barbaric act against humans," said Mohamed Malim, another elder. "They were innocent women, some of those killed might have been married by force to the gunmen."
Mohamed Adale Hassan, a local district official, confirmed the killings and said they were investigating the attacks.
Al Shabaab rebels have carried out repeated attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya as part of their fight to overthrow the country's internationally-backed government, as well as the AU troops supporting it.
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