MOGADISHU: A Somali journalist who masterminded the assassination of five colleagues was sentenced to death on Thursday after confessing to their murders, a court in the capital ruled.

“Hassan Hanafi is sentenced to death, after the court has found him guilty of all charges against him,” judge Hassan Ali told the military court. “All the evidence brought in support of the case and the witnesses show that he had key roles in the masterminding and execution of the murder of several journalists.”

The court said Hanafi had confessed to the killings and to being a member of Al-Shabab, but that he may still appeal the sentence. Death sentences in Somalia are usually carried out by firing squad. Dozens of former colleagues turned up to court to see Hanafi sentenced.

He was arrested in August 2014 in Kenya and extradited to Somalia late that year.

Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists to operate, with some attacks believed to be linked to score-settling among the multiple factions in power, as well as by Al-Shabab.

Shebab rebels have carried out repeated attacks in Somalia and neighbouring Kenya as part of their fight to overthrow the country’s internationally-backed government, as well as the African Union troops supporting it, which include Kenyan soldiers.

Hanafi was arrested in the Kenyan capital after reportedly travelling there for medical treatment.

The Shebab operate their own radio station and regularly release propaganda videos, and were previously active on Twitter before their accounts were shut down.e on the outskirts of Sabratha on Feb. 19 in which more than 40 people were killed. The Serbian government said two Serbian nationals who had been held hostage since November were among the dead.

Sabratha is one of several Libyan cities where militants loyal to Daesh have established a presence, taking advantage of the political chaos that has plagued the North African country since Muammar Qaddafi was toppled in 2011.

Italy’s Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper said on Thursday that Italy had sent some 40 secret service agents to Libya “some weeks ago,” and that an additional 50 special forces operatives were set to join them. There was no immediate confirmation of this.

The former colonial power has said it is ready to send a much larger contingent to Libya to help train local forces as soon as a UN-backed unity government is formed.

Officials in Rome, speaking off the record, said these troops would not be involved in front line action. Any direct military action would only be ordered to defend Italian interests, such as Eni installations, they said.