 On 30 December , violence escalated " an order of magnitude " as militants entered Mogadishu , which was quickly enveloped by a general state of lawlessness . On 30 – 31 December , diplomats , including many stationed in offices elsewhere in the city , were collected and housed in the embassy compound , except two volunteers who remained in the embassy 's K @-@ 7 residential apartments located across Afgoy Road from the embassy . The volunteers in the K @-@ 7 building would be needed as look @-@ outs for the embassy compound 's main gate . On the morning of 31 December , the defense attaché was nearly killed when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets and that evening , a soldier at a roadblock shot the tires of a vehicle carrying another defense official . Attempts by the US and other nations ' diplomats , in particular the Italian embassy , to negotiate a ceasefire for foreigners to leave were unsuccessful . Afgoy Road became a " shooting gallery , " preventing those in safe @-@ havens outside the embassy from reaching it . On New Year 's Day , the first American civilians began to seek refuge at the embassy . 
 On 30 December , violence escalated " an order of magnitude " as militants entered Mogadishu , which was quickly enveloped by a general state of lawlessness . On 30 – 31 December , diplomats , including many stationed in offices elsewhere in the city , <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> collected and housed in the embassy compound , except two volunteers <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>who</mark></a>remained in the embassy <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>K @-@ 7 residential apartments located across Afgoy Road from the embassy . The volunteers in the K @-@ 7 building would be needed as look @-@ outs for the embassy compound <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>main gate . On the morning of 31 December , the defense attaché was nearly killed when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets and that evening , a soldier at a roadblock<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> shot the tires of a vehicle carrying another defense official . Attempts by the US and other nations <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'</mark></a>diplomats , in particular the Italian embassy , to negotiate a ceasefire for foreigners to leave <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> unsuccessful . Afgoy Road became a " shooting gallery , " preventing those in safe @-@ havens outside the embassy from reaching it . On New Year <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>Day , the first American civilians began to seek refuge at the embassy . 
On 30 December , violence escalated " an order of magnitude " as militants entered Mogadishu , which was quickly enveloped by a general state of lawlessness . On 30 – 31 December , diplomats , including many stationed in offices elsewhere in the city , was collected and housed in the embassy compound , except 2 volunteers remained in da embassy  K @-@ 7 residential apartments located across Afgoy Road from the embassy . The volunteers in the K @-@ 7 building would be needed as look @-@ outs for tdaembassy compound  main gate . On the mornin of 31 December , thdaefense attaché was nearly killed when his vehicle was sprayed with bullets and that evening , a soldier at a roadblock been shot thedares of a vehicle carrying another defense official . Attempts by the US and other nations  diplomats , in particular the dalian embassy , to negotiate a ceasefire for foreigners to leave was unsuccessful . Afgoy Road became a " shooting gallery , " preventing those in safe @-@ havens outside the edassy from reaching it . On New Year  Day , the first American civilians began to seek refuge at the embassy .