A large crowd watched Monday’s execution of Abdirizak Omar Abdullahi who was blindfolded and tied to wooden poles at an open square in the town before masked soldiers sprayed him with bullets after which medics removed his bloodied and bullet-riddled body for burial.

Earlier this month, a military court found Abdullahi, one of a dozen rebellious soldiers that engaged with security forces guilty in brief clashes of killing a local traditional elder who was reportedly attempting to negotiate for a break in fighting between the two sides before he was allegedly shot dead by the executed soldier.

His fellow soldiers also convicted of being part of the mutiny which involved hours of clashes with the security forces have received ranges of sentences including long-term jail sentences.

Local officials said that the clashes on October 25 broke out after troops acting upon an intelligence tipoff about ‘suspicious movements and mobilization by the rebellious soldiers who had reportedly defied an order by their commanding officer to return to their camps for questioning launched the attack in the run up to a new security directive banning the presence of armed soldiers across the city.

According to the new directive by the local administration, only one specific unit of the security forces with special uniforms would be allowed to carry with their arms throughout the town in order to prevent militants disguised as soldiers from infiltrating the town.

The regional troops have later arrested the mutinous soldiers who faced mutiny charges by the state’s prosecutor before judges sentenced them later.

According to officials, the remaining soldiers who are currently serving different jail sentences could still face additional punishment including dismissal from the army once they serve their jail sentences.

Despite subsequent condemnations by rights groups, death penalty is legal in the long-chaotic horn of Africa nation, with officials consider it as a necessary punishment in tackling the unwarranted murder cases by soldiers who are often accused of acting with impunity, including killing and raping.