Somalia’s al-Shabab loses control of Merca port to army

The port is some 70km (45 miles) south of Mogadishu, which the Islamists were forced to leave last year.

"There was some fighting, but not so heavy," said a spokesman for the African Union mission in Somalia, adding that most al-Shabab fighters had already left the port.

The advance comes a week after a new parliament was sworn in.

Merca is the third largest port in southern Somalia and the African Union says its seizure will help in the operation to take Kismayo - the biggest town still in al-Shabab