Somalia’s federal army says it has pushed opposition fighters out of Baidoa, the largest city in South West State, following intense fighting that began before dawn on Monday.
According to the Defence Ministry, fighters loyal to former South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen attacked federal military positions using vehicles loaded with explosives. The government said its forces repelled the attack and killed about 30 attackers, while also accusing Laftagareen’s forces of fighting alongside al-Shabab.
Laftagareen’s camp disputed the government’s account, claiming earlier that its fighters had captured the city centre.
Residents described the fighting as the most intense in Baidoa since federal troops seized the city in March. Medical workers reported that several casualties were taken to hospitals, while fighting occurred on two fronts.
The conflict is linked to Somalia’s wider political crisis. Laftagareen broke ties with Mogadishu after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pushed through constitutional changes that extended his term by one year and significantly changed the country’s power-sharing system. The dispute led to clashes across Somalia and ultimately Laftagareen’s resignation.
Baidoa, located about 245km northwest of Mogadishu, is also home to hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict and climate-related disasters. The renewed fighting is therefore worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of Somalis facing hunger and malnutrition.
