Somali military officials told media Monday afternoon that the city was captured by the allied forces after al-Shabaab retreated.
“The district of Merca is in the control of Somali and AMISOM forces and there was no resistance when our forces entered the city,” said General Abdikarim Yusuf Adan.
According to local residents, before the al-Shabaab agents fled the city they had killed four people, it is unclear why they were killed.
“It was very tense in Merca we are still very worried. Before they [al-Shabaab] left they killed four people. We are waiting for change hopefully,” said Omar Nuur a Merca resident who spoke to GO.