Somalian Islamist militias seized the strategic town of Jowhar today, the last major refuge of warlords whom they unseated from the anarchic capital last week.
"At last we are in the town," Sheikh Hassan, a local elder loyal to the Islamic courts, said.
The capture of Jowhar gives them control of most of southern Somalia and raises the question of whether they will help the weak interim government or impose Islamic rule.
Four people were killed and between 10 and 18 were wounded, militia sources in Nairobi said.
The Islamist militias recently ousted warlords in a self-styled anti-terrorism coalition - widely believed to be backed by the United States - from Mogadishu in battles that have killed more than 350 people since February.
Today's assault appeared to be an attempt to deliver a final blow to the much-weakened warlords, whose fortunes as feudal rulers of patches of Somalia including Mogadishu for the past 15 years have taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Residents said militia fighters linked to sharia courts had seized Jowhar airport to the west of the town, about 90 km from Mogadishu.
They also entered from the south, sending terrified residents fleeing as they battered the town with heavy artillery and machine guns.