A radio station run by Somalia’s al-Shabab Islamic militant group has awarded weapons to children who won a Koran-recital and general knowledge contest.
Andulus Radio, based in Elasha, 20 kilometers southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, gave the group which won first prize in the competition an AK-47 rifle and the equivalent of $700, according to the BBC.
The runner-up received an AK-47 and $500, while the third prize was two hand grenades and $400.
"Youths should use one hand for education and the other for a gun to defend Islam," senior al-Shabab official Mukhtar Robow said at the prize-giving ceremony.
The annually held contest started in 2009 and has taken place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It is reported that the former contests were held in the southern port of Kismayo and first prize included an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade launcher).
While Somalia is currently suffering from a severe drought, al-Shabab has dominated central and southern parts of the country. They aim to overthrow the government. The group is restricting access to many international aid groups, saying they have a political agenda and are exaggerating the scale of the famine.