According to the court, 19 of the suspects were members of the Al-Shabaab militant group while the remaining six were Puntland soldiers.

In his verdict, Judge Ahmed Abdi Botan of Puntland’s Military Court said all the suspects were found guilty as charged. He did not specify the charges against the six soldiers but they were all jailed.

Botan said the court has been looking into the case against 50 people for the last ten days, adding that 25 of them were jailed, 16 others released while three others are still awaiting trial.

He said anybody found to be a member of Al-Shabaab risks harsh sentencing including death, life imprisonment, or years-long jail terms.

Botan however urged locals in Puntland not to hid militants saying the group is trying to destabilise the region.