African Union and Somali troops took control on Sunday of the al-Shabaab militant stronghold of Barawe along the southern Somali coast after the al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militants fled without resistance, a Somali regional official said.
"We have completely taken Barawe town from al-Shabaab. There are now no al-Shabaab in the town, they escaped when they saw our forces approaching hours ago," Abdikadir Mohamed Sidii, the Governor for Lower Shabelle region where Barawe town is located told Reuters from inside the port town.