Gen Mugisha told the BBC: "[Transitional Federal Government of Somalia] forces, supported by Amisom (the African Union Mission in Somalia) - we have managed to push out al-Shabab from Mogadishu main city. As I am talking to you, we control the whole of Mogadishu main city, yes."

Amisom spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda said the objective had been to push the al-Shabab forces out of mortar range of civilians. "The outer north and eastern fringes of the city must still be cleared, but key ground and buildings are no longer under the control of the extremists," he said.

A former pasta factory used by al-Shabab as an operations centre had been captured, he added.

Al-Shabab still has a presence in the outlying district of Daynile, a BBC reporter in Mogadishu says. Al-Shabab said it carried out a bomb attack last week which killed more than 80 people.

The al-Qaeda-linked group retreated from most of Mogadishu in August, following an offensive by Amisom, but analysts had predicted that without a front line, the organization was likely to begin carrying out more bombings, including suicide attacks.

BBC