Southwest forces clash with Laftagareen loyalists near Baidoa
In a statement issued Friday, the Southwest Ministry of Security said regional forces had repelled an attempted assault on Baidoa by what it described as Laftagareen loyalist fighters.
Friday May 22, 2026
Baidoa (AX) — Fresh fighting erupted late Thursday on the outskirts of Baidoa, where Southwest State security forces clashed with militias loyal to former regional President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, officials said.
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The confrontation unfolded in the Idoow Dhagoole area, north of Baidoa, and left casualties, including people killed and wounded, according to reports from the scene. The precise toll was not immediately available.
In a statement issued Friday, the Southwest Ministry of Security said regional forces had repelled an attempted assault on Baidoa by what it described as Laftagareen loyalist fighters.
The ministry said several militia members were killed in the operation and that troops recovered weapons and ammunition. It did not say whether government forces suffered losses.
Southwest officials also urged parents and relatives of young men fighting alongside Laftagareen to convince them to lay down their arms. The administration said anyone who leaves the militia will be granted amnesty and allowed to return home.
The latest clashes come as tensions remain high in parts of Bay region after Laftagareen’s removal from office. Some of his supporters have regrouped in rural areas, where they are carrying out an armed campaign against the Southwest administration and the Federal Government of Somalia.
Baidoa, the interim capital of Southwest State, has increasingly become a flashpoint for political and security disputes as arguments over regional leadership, elections and federal influence continue to intensify.
