Three years after their arrest, an Ethiopian court on Friday sentenced two men to up to six-and-a-half years on terrorism charges.
The state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation quoted the federal attorney general as saying the defendants, identified as Bedris Yesuf and Anis Usman, were arrested three years ago while they were planning to carry out a terror attack.
The pair had received training from the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terror group, the court heard.
They were also engaged in recruitment for al-Shabaab and were intent on establishing a terror cell in Ethiopia, the report added.
Bedris was accused of taking part in a gunfight in Mogadishu between the militant group and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
"The first defendant, Bedris in particular took part in an exchange of gunfire held nine years ago in Mogadishu between the militant group and the African Union Mission in Somalia," the broadcaster said.
Ethiopia contributes a significant number of troops to AMISOM, a multi-national force fighting al-Shabaab in Somalia.
In 2013 two Somali nationals blew themselves up while putting on their explosive vests to attack football fans who had gathered at an Addis Ababa stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match between Ethiopia and Nigeria.
