A Somali terror group has recruited more than 20 young men from Minnesota to fight against the Ethiopian army

Details of how a carefully-organized Islamist cell raised money, created fake itineraries and held secret meetings have emerged ahead of the trial of one suspected leader. Omer Abdi Mohamed, 26, is one of 18 men charged with recruiting young Somalis from Minneapolis to join terror group al-Shabab, which has links to Al Qaeda. Since 2007, at least 21 men have left Minnesota for Somalia, where they arrived at safehouses and were given AK-47s and weapons training, court documents claim, before fighting Ethiopian troops. Back in Minnesota, members of the cell raised money for their trip from the Somali community. The group held meetings at mosques and restaurants, and took measures to keep things secretive.