Somalia ? The head of U.N. food agency operations in the violence-racked Somali capital was taken away Wednesday by 50 to 60 heavily armed government security officers who had stormed the U.N. compound in Mogadishu, the agency said.

The World Food Program suspended aid distribution in Mogadishu in response to the detention of the official, Irdris Osman.

Interior Minister Mohamed Mohamoud Guled denied government officers carried out any operation at the U.N. compound. But he added that the WFP last month distributed food aid without consulting the government, a reason that the government has in recent months used to block distributions to areas perceived to be against the government.

Osman was being held in a cell at the National Security Service headquarters and the WFP has not received any explanation for the action, the agency said, adding his detention violated international law.