Caption: The South West Ministry of Security said the vehicle was seized after the fighting
Baidoa (AX) — Fighting erupted in Baidoa on Monday morning after forces loyal to former Southwest state President Abdiaziz Mohamed Laftagareen entered parts of the city, confronting troops aligned with the regional and federal governments, according to reports and footage circulated on social media.
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Videos shared online appeared to show armed fighters and military vehicles moving through areas of Baidoa, the administrative capital of Southwest state and Bay region. Forces involved in the fighting reportedly seized several military vehicles before withdrawing from the city.
The number of casualties among fighters and civilians was not immediately clear.
The Somali National Army offered a different account, saying its troops had repelled an attack by Al-Shabaab militants on Baidoa.
In a statement, the army command said its forces had been placed on heightened alert and engaged the attackers after they attempted to capture positions inside the city.
The military said the attackers sustained casualties and lost equipment, adding that government troops used weapons and military vehicles to push back the assault.
However, the army provided no evidence that those involved were Al-Shabaab militants and did not address reports that forces loyal to Laftagareen had entered Baidoa.
The command said it would issue additional information on the operation and casualties at a later time.
It urged Baidoa residents to remain vigilant and work with national security forces, saying cooperation between civilians and security personnel was necessary to preserve stability in the city.
The clashes come as a political dispute between the federal government and Laftagareen continues to intensify. Laftagareen has rejected the authority of the current Southwest administration and insists that he remains the state’s legitimate president.
The federal government and Southwest authorities have accused forces backing Laftagareen of seeking to destabilize Baidoa and retake control of the city.
The latest violence could deepen tensions in Southwest, where political rivalries have increasingly overlapped with military deployments and competing claims over command of security forces.
Hiiraan Online could not independently verify the identities of the forces shown in the footage or the circumstances surrounding their entry into Baidoa.
