A man who left the UK and travelled to Somalia in a bid to join a proscribed terrorist group has been jailed.

Mohamed Mohamoud, 22, a Somalian national, arrived in the UK in 2020 to join his mother and brother who were living in Bristol.

During the trial, jurors heard how Mohamoud became radicalised, embracing the ideology of Islamic State, and showed a strong desire to return to Somalia to join Daesh. 

He stated his intention to join the ‘Mujahideen’ – roughly translated as those who engage in religious or political struggle – who operate in the mountainous areas in the north of the Puntland region in north east Somalia.

He began making travel plans and reached out to several people for advice on messaging platform Telegram, requesting a contact to help him join the network.

Despite not being able to identify a guide or contact, Mohamoud left the UK on 30 January 2025, flying from Heathrow Airport to Garowe – in north east Somalia.

He booked a return flight, but messages showed he had no intention of returning to the UK, and said his ambition was ‘martyrdom’.

At that time in Somalia, a counter-terrorism operation, led by the Puntland government and its forces, with international support, was underway. This meant that getting into Daesh-controlled  territory was challenging.

But Mohamoud was not deterred and took enough money to live off while waiting for access to improve so he could join fighters in the region.

Upon his arrival in Somalia, Mahamoud messaged an AI bot used to facilitate contact with Daesh, and was immediately put in contact with a recruiter, Abu Ali, who asked if he was aware of the current difficulties.

Mohamoud replied: “Yeah brother, I am fully aware. I’m longing for martyrdom, honestly, there’s no better moment than right now.”

He was later passed to another recruiter, Qaad, but it was not possible to secure a safe route into the area to join Daesh.

Mohamoud returned to the UK on 4 March 2025 but made it clear to the two recruiters he had been in contact with that he wished to return.

On 20 January 2026, Mohamoud was arrested and his mobile phone was examined where messages were recovered, as well as videos and images indicating that he was committed to the violent ideology of Daesh.

Mohamoud was found guilty of preparation of terrorist acts on 18 August 2026.

At the Old Bailey today, he was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. 

The prosecution followed an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing South East.

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “Mohamoud was determined to join Daesh and took concrete steps to make that a reality. He even utilised an AI chatbot to contact a recruiter in his bid to join the illegal terrorist organisation.

“He actively embraced the organisation’s violent extremist ideology, sought guidance, and travelled to Somalia with the intention of linking up with fighters aligned to the group.

“The evidence showed this was not a spontaneous decision or a misguided trip abroad. His actions were carefully planned and driven by a commitment to support and become a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation.

“The CPS worked closely with Counter Terrorism Policing South East to build a strong case, using messages, digital material and travel evidence to demonstrate his intent. Terrorism-related offending remains a significant threat, and we will not hesitate to prosecute those who seek to support or join terrorist groups.”