海角大神

African Union聽and Somali troops on Sunday took control of Barawe, a port town used by Al Shabab to bring in arms and fighters from abroad, after the Al Qaeda-linked militants fled without resistance, a Somali official said.

The聽African Union聽and the聽Somali military聽launched a joint offensive in March to drive the Islamist fighters out of towns and areas they control and stepped up their campaign in August after a surge in gun and bomb attacks in聽Mogadishu.

Al Shabaab members across聽Somalia聽have been arrested and smaller towns retaken, but the rebels still hold swathes of territory.

"I wish to share some very good news with the people of聽Somalia.聽Al Shabab聽terror capital Barawe is now under Somali government control,"聽Lydia Wanyoto, the acting head of the African forces, said in a statement issued by the聽African Union.

Abdikadir Mohamed Sidii, the governor of the Lower Shabelle region in聽southern聽Somalia, where Barawe is located, had earlier told Reuters that聽Al Shabab聽fled when the forces marched on the town.

"We have settled most of the troops on the fringes of the town in order not to scare the residents. Only a few infantry are now inside. The mood is calm and there is neither attack nor resistance. Residents are calm," Sidii said.

Sheik聽Abdiasis Abu Musab,聽Al Shabab's military operations spokesman, declined to comment on whether the Islamist militants had abandoned the town.

He told Reuters earlier in the day that militants on Saturday had burned two government vehicles near Barawe. The AU said the ambush was not successful.

Hussein Nur, a university lecturer in governance and leadership in聽Mogadishu, said Barawe's loss was a blow to Al Shabab.

"Economically, it was a port where they exported charcoal and imported what they needed. Militarily, it was a strategic place where Al Shabaab leaders and foreigners hid and trained bombers," he told Reuters.

"For the government, it means聽Al Shabab聽no longer has a base in the range of about 200 km away from聽Mogadishu. However, this is not the elimination of聽All Shabab. They are still strong and control large swathes of聽Somalia."

Residents prepare to flee

Barawe, about 180 km (110 miles) south of聽Mogadishu, had been fully controlled by the聽Islamist militia聽with almost no government presence since 2006.

Al Shabab聽banned many aspects of modern life in the town and applied its strict literal interpretation of Islamic sharia law, ordering executions, floggings and amputations for crimes such as theft.

Residents said they were leaving Barawe.

"Al Shabab聽addressed us in the mosque ... they said they were leaving the town and warned us against helping the government,"聽Hussein Ibrahim, a resident of Barawe told Reuters.

"I am also preparing to flee. We are sure聽Al Shabab聽will attack the town," he added.

The group ruled most of the southern region of聽Somalia聽from 2006 until 2011, when African troops marched into the capital. Western states, unnerved by the rising tide of Islamic militancy, have supported the AU peace-keeping force financially, saying聽Al Shabab聽exploited聽Somalia's chaos to train fighters.

Al Shabab聽was destabilized badly after it lost the southern聽port of Kismayo聽to AU and聽Somali government聽soldiers in September 2012.

Kenya, which has deployed troops with the聽African Union聽force, felt the impact of聽Al Shabab's reach in September last year when gunmen from the group launched an attack on the聽Westgate mall, leaving 67 dead.