London, July 11 (ANI): Islamist insurgents in Somalia have beheaded seven people for allegedly abandoning their Muslim faith and spying for the government. The public killings, which took place in Baidoa town, come in the wake of a failed offensive by the Islamists, who tried to seize Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu two months ago.

Experts say elements in the insurgent group may have wanted to make a public show of strength after the failure to decisively capture Mogadishu, the Telegraph reports.”Al-Shabab is reacting to a setback,” said Mark Schroeder, a senior analyst at global intelligence company Stratfor.

The latest execution is the largest mass killing since the insurgents were pushed from power two and a half years ago.

However, many individual executions, amputations and stonings have been taking place in the country.

The US considers al-Shabab a terrorist group with links to al-Qaeda, which al-Shabab denies.

The group controls much of Somalia and its fighters operate openly in the capital. (ANI)