Triumphant Somali government forces and their Ethiopian allies marched into Mogadishu today after Islamist rivals abandoned the war-scarred city they held for six months.
The flight of the Islamists was a dramatic turn-around in the volatile Horn of Africa nation after they took Mogadishu in June and spread across the south imposing sharia rule.
Terrified of yet more violence in a city that has become a byword for chaos, some Mogadishu residents greeted the arriving government troops, while others hid.
"People are cheering as they wave flowers to the troops," said resident Abdikadar Abdulle.
Parts of Mogadishu shook with the sound of gunfire and there were outbreaks of looting after leaders of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) fled its base early in the morning.
Some fighters ditched their uniforms to avoid reprisals.
"We have been defeated. I have removed my uniform. Most of my comrades have also changed into civilian clothes," one former SICC fighter said.
The fall of Mogadishu came about 10 days after the Islamists sought to march on the government base of Baidoa. That prompted Ethiopia to come openly into the war, proving the decisive factor in saving the government and pushing back the Islamists.
The SICC had brought a semblance of stability to Mogadishu after chasing US-backed warlords from the city in June. Residents said order had collapsed following their departure.
"Mogadishu is now in chaos," SICC leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told Al Jazeera television.
He also confirmed that his forces had left the city to avoid bloodshed but warned the withdrawal was tactical move and analysts say his group could still wage a guerrilla war.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi vowed to pursue the Islamist leaders. "We will not let Mogadishu burn," he added.
While the African Union (AU) has called for him to withdraw his forces "without delay", Mr Meles is believed to have the tacit support of Washington in his push against the Islamists.
More than a week of mortar and rocket duels between the Islamists and the Ethiopian-backed government spiralled into open war 10 days ago.
The UN refugee agency said yesterday thousands of people had fled and were in a "desperate situation".
With Eritrea accused of backing the Islamists, many had feared the conflict would engulf the Horn. Ethiopia, like the United States, says the Islamists are supported by Al Qaeda.
It says it has taken foreign prisoners and killed radicals from abroad, including some with British passports.