Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants behead four men for being 'government spies'

The al-Qaeda linked group claims the men were found guilty by Sharia court

Recruits from al-Shabaab, pose in the Somali capital Mogadishu

Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants have publicly beheaded four men after accusing them of spying on behalf of the government.

The al-Qaeda linked organisation confirmed the executions and said the men were found guilty by an al-Shabaab court.

"The court ruled on their cases and four of the men were executed publicly in Jamame District according to the Sharia this (Sunday) afternoon," Mohamed Abu Abdalla, al-Shabaab’s governor for the Jubba region, told Reuters.

"The four men admitted they were spies," he added.

The news comes a fortnight after the group claimed responsibility for an attack outside a luxury hotel in Mogadishu.

At least 13 people are reported to have been killed after heavy gunfire and two explosions.

Dozens of people, including politicians, were staying at the hotel at the time of the attack.

Al-Shabaab was formed in 2004 and is a breakaway faction of the former Islamic Courts Union, which ruled much of Somalia until the end of 2006. The group is seeking to reassert its dominance against the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and create an Islamic state in Somalia.