Al-Shabaab has taken brief control of a town in Central Somalia.
The militants took control of Matabaan, one of the key towns in Hiraan region on December 13.
Residents confirmed this turn of events on Monday when speaking to the media.
Al-Shabaab militants raised their banner atop the offices of the Matabaan police station and the local administration.
Reports from the area indicate that the militants assumed control of the town after officers from the Somali Police Force (SPF) left for inexplicable reasons.
However, their control quickly dissipated once Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers arrived at the town.
As they made their way out of the town, the militants reportedly destroyed the police station.