Remaining residents within Somalia's battle-torn capital are fleeing as rebel and government forces prepare for new clashes. The Western-backed Mogadishu government has announced its intention of launching an offensive against the Islamist opposition.
For weeks, the Transitional Federal Government has been promising to drive back the rebel forces who control much of Mogadishu and most of southern Somalia. The threat was reiterated by the the nation's foreign affairs minister during a visit to Japan. He said the offensive would begin "very very soon."
Those in the capital city say clashes appear imminent, with the government army positioning to attack, and reinforcements reportedly flowing into the shifting rebel lines.
The government has begun to shell al-Shabab-controlled areas. Some reports say there have civilians have been killed in the shelling.
Hundreds are said to be fleeing the city in expectation of major violence, most heading to the Afgoye Corridor about 30 kilometers south of Mogadishu. The camp there is thought to house the most concentrated number of displaced people in the world.