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The Two-Way

Target Of U.S. Raid In Somalia Called A Top Attack Planner

A Kenyan intelligence official says that the "high-value terrorist leader" whose residence was targeted in a Navy SEAL raid was the senior al-Shabab leader Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, alias Ikrima. Ikrima is a Kenyan of Somali descent who boasts connections to both al-Shabab in Somalia and to a Kenyan jihadist group called al-Hijra.

Target Of U.S. Raid In Somalia Called A Top Attack Planner

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Saturday

Monday

Somalia's Al-Shabab: 4 Things To Know

Heavy smoke rises from the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday. The Somali militant group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. Jerome Delay/AP hide caption

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Jerome Delay/AP

Parallels

Somalia's Al-Shabab: 4 Things To Know

The group that claimed responsibility for the attack on the mall in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, began as a militia fighting in Somalia. But it has evolved into an al-Qaida affiliate that views Somalia as a front in the war against the West.

Wednesday

Violence Causes Doctors Without Borders To Exit Somalia

Somali women and children wait to get medicine in July 2008, from a clinic run by Doctors Without Borders about 20 miles south of Mogadishu. AFP/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Violence Causes Doctors Without Borders To Exit Somalia

After suffering dozens of attacks against staff members, including kidnappings and murders, the nonprofit is closing all operations in Somalia. In many parts of the country, the aid group was the only source of health care.

Wednesday

Last Person To Get Smallpox Dedicated His Life To Ending Polio

Ali Maow Maalin said he avoided getting the smallpox vaccine as a young man because he was afraid of needles. He didn't want others to make the same mistake with polio. Courtesy of the World Health Organization hide caption

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Courtesy of the World Health Organization

Shots - Health News

Last Person To Get Smallpox Dedicated His Life To Ending Polio

In the 1970s, Ali Maow Maalin, a Somali hospital worker, was the last member of the general public to catch smallpox — worldwide. Once recovered, he worked for years to wipe out polio in Somalia. Maalin, called "an inspiration" by world health leaders, died unexpectedly last week.

Saturday

Polio Eradication Suffers A Setback As Somali Outbreak Worsens

A Yemeni child receives a polio vaccine in the capital city of Sanaa. The Yemen government launched an immunization campaign last month in response to the polio outbreak in neighboring Somalia. Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Mohammed Huwais/AFP/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Polio Eradication Suffers A Setback As Somali Outbreak Worsens

Somalia now has the dubious distinction of having the worst polio outbreak in the world. The country had been polio-free since 2007. If this outbreak gains a foothold, health workers fear it could spread into the Middle East.

Polio Eradication Suffers A Setback As Somali Outbreak Worsens

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Friday

Polio Outbreak In Somalia Jeopardizes Global Eradication

Health workers vaccinate a boy against polio at a May immunization drive in Mogadishu, Somalia. Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP hide caption

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Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP

Shots - Health News

Polio Outbreak In Somalia Jeopardizes Global Eradication

The world is closer than ever to wiping out polio. But a growing outbreak in the Horn of Africa has health workers worried that the virus could spread to surrounding regions. Thirty-one kids have been paralyzed by the poliovirus in the past two months, and the number is expected to rise.

Polio Outbreak In Somalia Jeopardizes Global Eradication

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Sunday

U.S. Provided 'Technical Assistance' In Botched French Raid, Obama Says

An undated screen image of footage shot by Al-Kataib Media, showing Denis Allex, a French hostage allegedly held by Somali militants, who was reportedly killed during the failed rescue mission. MAXPPP/EPA /LANDOV hide caption

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MAXPPP/EPA /LANDOV

The Two-Way

U.S. Provided 'Technical Assistance' In Botched French Raid, Obama Says

A French soldier and 17 Islamist rebels were killed in the raid to rescue a French hostage in Somalia, who is also believed to have died. The president's acknowledgment of the U.S. role in the raid came the same day as France said the U.S. provided "communications and transport" support for the ongoing French military action against Islamist rebels in Mali.

Saturday

Failed French Rescue Attempt Leaves Several Dead In Somalia

In October, kidnapped French intelligence agent Denis Allex appeared in a video shot by his captors. In the video, Allex pleads for French President Francois Hollande to negotiate for his release. -/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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-/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Failed French Rescue Attempt Leaves Several Dead In Somalia

It's not clear whether a French intelligence agent is dead or alive after a botched rescue attempt in Somalia on Saturday morning. The operation may have dangerous implications for other French hostages being held across Africa.

Monday

At His Own Risk, Somali Chef Creates Gourmet Haven In War-Weary Mogadishu

Somali chef Ahmed Jama holds up freshly caught spiny lobsters he's about to cook in one of his restaurants in Mogadishu. John Burnett/NPR hide caption

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John Burnett/NPR

The Salt

At His Own Risk, Somali Chef Creates Gourmet Haven In War-Weary Mogadishu

London-raised Ahmed Jama won't give up on Mogadishu, even though his restaurants have been attacked by suicide bombers more than once. In fact, he's leading the city's cultural revival, one dish at a time, by offering residents and visitors a taste of authentic Somali cuisine and hospitality.

At His Own Risk, Somali Chef Creates Gourmet Haven In War-Weary Mogadishu

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Wednesday

Theater Bombing In Mogadishu Breaks Tenuous Calm In Somalia

Ambulances are parked outside the Mogadishu National Theatre on Wednesday after a suicide attack in the Somali capital. A young woman strapped with explosives blew herself up on at a ceremony in the Somali national theater attended by the prime minister and other officials. Abdurashid Abdulle/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Abdurashid Abdulle/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Theater Bombing In Mogadishu Breaks Tenuous Calm In Somalia

The blast killed at least six and was a stark reminder of the country's fragile security situation.