Somali man sentenced in U.S. court in for aiding 'terrorist' group

A Somali man was sentenced in 15 years in prison on Thursday for providing material support to al-Shabaab, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorism group, U.S. prosecutors said.

Abdinassir Mohamud Ibrahim, 43, pleaded guilty to making a cash payment to a known member of al-Shabaab and trying to enlist support for the group linked to deadly attacks in African countries including Somalia, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western District of Texas said.

It added that he lied on immigration documents in order to reside in the United States.

Al Shabaab, who want to impose their strict version of sharia, or Islamic law, across Somalia, were driven out of Mogadishu in late 2011. They are now struggling to hold on to territory elsewhere in the face of attacks by Kenyan, Ethiopian and African Union forces.