KISMAYO, Sept 25: Islamist fighters in the Somali port of Kismayo opened fire on Monday on residents who were burning tyres, throwing stones and chanting to protest the Islamist takeover of the city hours earlier.

Ministers accused the Islamists of mounting the offensive with fighters from Eritrea, Pakistan and Yemen.

A 13-year-old boy was shot dead while protesting, and two other people were injured as violence raged for several hours in Somalia’s third biggest city, witnesses said.

“We have been taken over by extremists, the Islamic courts have taken us by force, and now they are firing at us,” said protester Dahabo Dirie.

Riding in trucks with machine guns, the Islamists guarded main streets and forbade gatherings after the protests eased.

The Islamists poured into Kismayo overnight to extend their grip on south-central Somalia and effectively flank the powerless central government on three sides.—Reuters