Somali Islamists execute two for spying

Somalia's hardline Shebab Islamists on Monday publicly executed two people accused of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency and the country's embattled government.

They were killed by a firing squad in the capital Mogadishu after Shebab militia judge Sheikh Abdullahi Al-Haq pronounced a guilty verdict on them.

"Hassan Moalim Abdullahi is found guilty of spying for the USA. He has been poven beyond any shadow of doubt that he belongs to the CIA," Al-Haq said of the first individual.

"The defendant said that he served the CIA and admitted his misdeeds," he said without elaborating.

The second defendant was accused of guiding government troops on targets to hit with artillery shells.

A third individual was flogged 29 times for counterfeiting dollars.

The extremist Shebab has imposed strict Sharia, or Islamic law, in areas of the country under its control.

Earlier this month, the group also publicly chopped off the right hands of two men accused of robbery.

The Al Qaeda-inspired group and the more political Hezb al-Islam have embarked on a bloody offensive against Somalia's transitional government and African Union troops protecting it in Mogaidishu.