Two Somalis executed for gov't spying

MERKA, Somalia, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Islamic officials in a Somali town have executed two young men for allegedly spying for the government, local officials say.

The Shabelle Media Network reported Sunday that residents of Merka in Somalia's Lower Shabelle region gathered in a football stadium to witness the executions, which reportedly was carried out by the town's Islamic forces.

The broadcaster said Sheik Suldan Ala Mohamed, a high-level official in the Islamic administration in Merka, identified the slain men as Mohamed Hussein Ahmed, 20, of Merka and Hussein Aba Ali, 21 of Mogadishu. Shabelle qouted Mohamed as saying they were shot and killed for spying for the forces of the country's transitional government.