 The fire reportedly was caused by a fired shell during a brief fight between the re-liberation forces against Ethiopian forces and their allied transitional government forces nearby.On 15 October 2009, Al-Shabab insurgents shelled the Bakara Market with mortars, killing 20 people and wounding 58.On 1 May 2010, two bombs detonated at a mosque near the market, killing 39 people and wounding 70.