Somali troops secure key port after capture from Shebab

Somali military commanders Monday celebrated the capture of the last major port held by Islamist Shebab insurgents, as the government secured control of the town for the first time in over two decades.

"Al-Shebab  are no longer in Barawe," military commander Abdirisak Khalif Elmi told hundreds of residents Monday, calling on citizens to support the government.

Tanks and armoured vehicles patrolled the town Monday, after the Al-Qaeda-linked Shebab retreated late last week ahead of the advance.

The capture of Barawe, with troops entering Sunday but with mopping up operations continuing, removes a key source of revenue for the Islamist militia.

The African Union's AMISOM force, which draws 22,000 soldiers from six nations, said Barawe, 200 kilometres (120 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, fell without "much resistance from the terrorist group." AFP