Militants from armed group Alshabaab have taken over the strategic southern port city of Marka after tactical withdrawal of Somali National Army.
Residents of the city have told the media that they saw heavily armed militants in several neighbourhood of the city.
Other reports say African Union Peace Keeping troops have taken positions in their base outskirts of the city.
No official report from Somali ministry of Defense on the set back.
This is not the first time the ancient Somali port city exchanged hands, on February this year armed group Alshabaab also took over the city after AMISOM and Somali troops’ tactical withdrawal.