Hundreds of civilian refugees fled Jowhar in anticipation of the fighting, adding to humanitarian concerns created by floods, hunger and disease.

[5] The loss of Jowhar led the ICU to retreat further to Balad in middle Shabelle province, a town 30 kilometres away from Mogadishu.

[7] Returning warlord Dheere, purportedly wearing an "I Love Jowhar" T-shirt[8] told the crowd gathered after the battle, "We will attack Mogadishu tomorrow, from two directions."

Dheere was referring to the advance taking place on the main road between Baidoa and Mogadishu, where sounds of battle could still be heard at the village of Leego.

After the battle in Jowhar, thousands of Ethiopian and government-allied Somali troops, accompanied by tanks, continued south towards Balad, the next major town on the road to the capital (30 km, 18 miles north of Mogadishu).