Somalia: Baidoa Rocked by Intense Clashes as Laftagareen Forces Claim Control
BAIDOA, Somalia — Baidoa was shaken by intense fighting Monday after forces loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen launched an assault inside the city, sparking clashes with Somali government troops and forces aligned with the South West State administration.
- Advertisement -
The confrontation broke out early Monday and involved heavy weapons, as gunfire and explosions echoed across Baidoa, located roughly 250 kilometers west of Mogadishu. Rival forces and civilians were reportedly among the casualties, but no confirmed figures for those killed or wounded were immediately available.
Ugas Hassan, a spokesman for Laftagareen’s forces, said the group had captured Baidoa and restored what he called the city’s “freedom and dignity.” He appealed to residents to leave their homes and welcome the fighters.
“The South West State Darwish forces have fully taken control of Baidoa and restored its freedom and dignity,” the spokesman said.
Hassan further assured residents that they had nothing to fear and said Laftagareen’s forces controlled the city. He added that the fighters would seek to reestablish order and revive the South West State administration.
Somali government military officials rejected that account, saying their troops had held their positions and pushed back the assault by forces loyal to Laftagareen.
The rival claims could not be independently confirmed. Baidoa remained tense, with residents reporting intermittent gunfire in parts of the city after the main confrontation. Many people stayed inside their homes, fearing a fresh outbreak of violence.
Monday’s clashes are the latest development in a long-running political and security struggle over South West State. The federal government removed Laftagareen from office in March and installed former Somali parliament speaker Aden Madobe, intensifying the confrontation between the two factions.
The political dispute has increasingly shifted onto the battlefield, with forces aligned with Laftagareen accused of launching several attacks on Baidoa. Further violence threatens to deepen instability in the regional state and expose civilians to greater danger.
Neither side had released independently verified casualty figures or details on the scale of damage by Monday.
AXADLETM
