Mogadishu battle

This item appears on page 20 of the August 2009 issue.

In June, battles between Islamist extremist guerrillas and government forces escalated in and around Mogadishu, Somalia, with more than 250 people killed, including civilians. Bombings at mosques and markets and battles along roads into and out of the city caused a UN-estimated 120,000-plus people to flee the city.