Al Shabaab Awards AK-47 to Winner of Koran Reciting Competition
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The winner of a Koran recital contest and general knowledge competition organized by Islamist militant group al Shabaab in Somalia was rewarded with an AK-47, two hand grenades, an anti-tank mine, and a computer.
The month-long competition — which was won by a 17-year-old — was held in Southern Somalia and hosted by the rebel group with ties to Al Qaeda.
The runner-up in the contest was a 22-year-old, who received a prize of an AK-47 and ammunition. The contest, planned for 10-25 years olds, was capped off at a ceremony where rebel leaders urged parents to allow their children to learn how to handle weapons so that they may fight against the enemy, Reuters reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The extremist group al Shabaab, an ally of Al Qaeda, controls most of Southern and Central Somalia. The group is now engaged in a conflict against the U.N.-backed government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed.