Kismayo isthe only port still under the Al-Shabaab rebel group and is often described as the lifeline of the militant group.

Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, reports say the fire first begun at a building where petroleum product is being sold.

A local trader who managed salvage his property from the inferno told Sunatimes that one person sustained burns and several business premises were reduced to ashes.

The incident comes as rebel fighters and coalition forces continue battling for the control of the city which has been under the Al-Shabaab group for the last five years