Additional Coverage:
Heavy Clashes Break Out Near Baidoa as Government Forces Confront Militias
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Intense fighting reignited early Thursday on the outskirts of Baidoa, a key city in Somalia’s southwestern region, forcing many civilians to flee amid heavy gunfire.
According to Somalia’s Defense Ministry, government troops responded to an assault launched by forces loyal to former South West state President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen alongside militants affiliated with the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab.
These clashes mark the latest chapter in an ongoing political and security standoff between Somalia’s federal government and Laftagareen concerning control over the South West state. Federal forces regained control of Baidoa on March 30, prompting Laftagareen’s resignation after leading the state since 2018.
By early afternoon, the fighting had subsided, though officials have yet to release casualty figures or detailed information about the scope of the confrontation. Government patrols were seen throughout the city streets, ambulances transported the injured, and local residents began assessing the damage-cleaning blood-stained clothing from public areas.
Dr. Abdikafi Omar Mohamud, head of the emergency department at Bay Regional Hospital in Baidoa, reported treating 24 wounded individuals and one civilian fatality resulting from the clashes.
Resident Abdullahi Haji recounted leaving his home quickly as gunfire and stray bullets struck residential neighborhoods.
Baidoa, situated roughly 245 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, serves as a vital humanitarian center and shelters over half a million people displaced by ongoing conflict and drought conditions.
Notably, last month’s violence in the area resulted in at least four civilian deaths and left 98 others injured, underscoring the persistent instability facing the region.