BU'ALE, Somalia -- Somalia's Al Shabaab militants seized MSF funded Hospital in Marerey town of Middle Jubba region after Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) announced total pullout from Somalia last Wednesday, Garowe Online reports.According to witnesses in Marerey, truckloads of armed militias arrived at the hospital on Thursday morning and ordered the local staffers to hand over building keys and stockpiles of drugs to Al Shabaab.
"The hospital's medical staff members were disbanded by Al Shabaab militants and they didn't tell us any reason," said one of the hospital workers who spoke to Garowe Online on condition of anonymity because of his security.
Marerey hospital had been serving as a crucial health facility for local communities in both Middle Jubba and Lower Jubba regions of southern Somalia. In addition, Marerey is an agriculture-rich town and was a home to Somalia's largest sugar cane processing factory.
The seizure of MSF controlled hospital follows a move, which reportedly paved a way the looting of MSF offices in Bay regional district of Diinsoor and the closure of Diinsoor referral hospital by Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab group.