Islamist Takeover Said to Be Near in Key City
From Times Wire Reports
Islamist forces were poised to take over Somalia’s strategic southern port city of Kismayo after the warlord in charge of the region fled, witnesses and officials said.
Witnesses said that the city was calm and that there was no sign it had been seized by the Conservative Council of Islamic Courts, whose advances since June have challenged the authority of the militarily weak interim government, backed by the West and regional power Ethiopia.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
