Somali army denies helicopter crash in Baidoa amid political tensions

Wednesday March 25, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Reports of a Somali National Army (SNA) helicopter going down in Baidoa spread quickly this week, but both federal military leaders and Southwest State officials say the story is baseless.

The SNA command said Tuesday that no helicopter crash had occurred in Baidoa — the interim capital of Southwest State — or in nearby areas, calling the claims false and unverified.

“There is no truth to the reports circulating about a helicopter crash in Baidoa,” the statement said. “We call on the public to avoid spreading unverified information.”

Southwest State authorities echoed that denial. Hassan Abdulqadir Mohamed, the region’s Minister of Security, said officials had seen no indication that any aircraft belonging to the federal government had been shot down or had crashed in the Bay region.

“We have not shot down any aircraft belonging to the Somali government, and we have not seen any credible evidence of such an incident,” the minister said, rejecting the reports that had circulated widely on social media.

The statements followed earlier, unverified accounts suggesting Southwest security forces downed a helicopter allegedly carrying federal troops to the Bay region — a claim that fueled fears of a new flashpoint between federal and regional forces.

The denials arrive at a time of heightened political and security friction between Mogadishu and Baidoa. Southwest State recently suspended ties with the federal government, accusing it of interfering in the region’s affairs and weakening Somalia’s federal system.

At the heart of the standoff are disputes over regional elections and proposed constitutional amendments that would extend the mandate of federal institutions from four to five years.