Somali government forces stormed the United Nations compound in Mogadishu on Wednesday and detained the World Food Programme’s (WFP) top representative in the capital, a UN official said.

“About 30 Somali government forces in two military trucks and armed with machine guns have raided the UN headquarters, forcefully entered the offices and arrested Idris Mohamed Osman,” said the official.

“They took him to the presidential palace area and we do not know why they have arrested him,” official said. The WFP spokesman confirmed the incident, which came hours after Somali forces battled insurgents in artillery duels that left four civilians dead and at least 34 others wounded.

“Mr Idris Osman, officer in charge of WFP Mogadishu, was detained this morning (Wednesday),” spokesman Peter Smerdon said.