A British man, who has been named as Clive Denis Everton, has been arrested in the country's capital in Somalia, on suspicion of links to a terrorist group in Kismayo south of the country.

Everton was detained by Somali police at Mogadishu airport after travelling from Britain via Kenya.

In an interview which was broadcast on Somalia's state television the British man said he was just on holiday when he was travelling to the rebel held port town.

1 (SOUNDBITE)(English) BRITISH NATIONAL ARREST DUE TO SUSPECTED LINKS WITH AL SHABAAB, CLIVE EVERTON DENNIS, SAYING:

"Name is Clive Everton. I was arrested couple days ago. I was on a long, long travel. I had to get away from England, I'd been living there for a long time. You know I wanted to go to Kismayo, that was the plan, but I said Mogadishu for me in my life, it's a lot of messages...and get some advice from a Muslimist (sic), who can tell me, you know, what they really think of England.

It is believed there has been a dramatic increase in British and American citizens,who are travelling to the country to fight alongside militants. Britain's Royal United Services Institute, estimates that as many as 200 foreigners are active in the country at the moment.