Somalis march through the streets of Mogadishu at a government-organized rally against the militant group al-Shabab on Wednesday. Many of the demonstrators were protesting the recent merger between al Qaeda and al-Shabab. (Associated Press)
Al-Shabab fighters march with their weapons during military exercises on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia, in February 2011. Over the past year, al-Shabab has lost much of the territory it held. (Associated Press)
**FILE** Al-Shabab fighters display weapons as they conduct military exercises Oct. 21, 2010, in northern Mogadishu, Somalia. (Associated Press)
Civilians flee from a part of Mogadishu where al-Shabab is digging trenches and African Union forces are moving in. (Associated Press)
Somalis carry a wounded man at the scene of an explosion in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. The al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab immediately claimed responsibility for the attack after more than a month of relative calm in the Somali capital. (AP Photo/Mohamed Sheikh Nor)
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS African Union troops defend the Yaaqshid district of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Thursday. Spokesman Col. Paddy Ankunda said the AU force believes al-Shabab is trying to prevent aid from reaching tens of thousands of refugees.
An al-Shabab fighter poses during military exercises in Mogadishu, Somalia, in late October. Somalia has been mired in civil war since 1991, and there is no end in sight, as foreigners provide Somali Islamists with cash and skills to wage their insurgency. (Associated Press)
