**A hardline Islamist Somali militant group has taken over a United Nations compound in the south of the country.**The fighters from the al-Shabab group, which is linked to al-Qaeda, disarmed UN staff at the base in Wajid near Baidoa, a BBC reporter says.
The fighters seized food supplies from the World Food Programme, as well as other equipment such as computers and the local airstrip.
In February Al-Shabab ordered the WFP to leave the country.
It said Somalis should buy food from local farmers, rather than relying on foreign aid.
Aid agencies say that up to half the population needs food aid.
Al-Shabab controls much of southern Somalia, while the UN-backed government is only in charge of a small part of the capital, Mogadishu.This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.