North Korea has executed its head of defense for treason, according to South Korean intelligence, a news report said on Wednesday.

Hyon Yong Chol, chief of the People’s Armed Forces, faced a firing squad armed with an anti-aircraft gun in Pyongyang around April 30, Seoul’s National Intelligence Service was quoted as saying by the Yonhap News Agency.

The disgraced commander had been seen falling asleep during a military event and had failed to carry out instructions from the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, a NIS official told reporters.

North Korea has executed another 15 senior officials since the beginning of the year, according to NIS.

In 2013, Kim had his uncle Jang Song Thaek, thought to be a former mentor, executed on charges of treason. News24