Dozens of people were killed and at least 98 wounded when federal government forces clashed with militias loyal to ousted South West State leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen in the key city of Baidoa, in the fiercest fighting in the region since March.
Somalia’s Defence Ministry said its forces repelled the attack on Monday after fighters loyal to Laftagareen entered the city from two directions, using vehicles laden with explosives. The ministry referred to the attackers as Khawarij, a term the government uses for Islamist militants, and said government forces killed nearly 30 of them. That figure could not be independently verified.
A local elder who spoke to Reuters reported seeing 10 bodies, including four civilians and six soldiers from both sides. Hospital officials confirmed at least four civilians killed and 98 others wounded in the fighting.
Power Struggle Intensifies
Laftagareen’s camp claimed on Facebook that its forces had captured the city centre, but federal officials said the attack was repelled and the city was secured by afternoon. Residents reported heavy gunfire across parts of Baidoa, with smoke billowing from shops hit by artillery.
The battle represents the latest escalation in a months-long power struggle over South West State, one of Somalia’s five semi-autonomous member states. Federal forces seized Baidoa on March 30 after Laftagareen’s administration declared it was severing ties with the federal government. Laftagareen resigned shortly after and fled to Nairobi, but has since renewed his claim to the presidency in a series of interviews, calling his removal illegitimate.
Federal Fault Line
Baidoa, located roughly 250 kilometres west of Mogadishu, is one of Somalia’s most important political and security centres. The city hosts regional institutions, federal forces, international security actors, and humanitarian agencies serving communities affected by conflict, drought, and displacement. More than 700,000 internally displaced people live in camps around the city.
The violence comes as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud faces broader challenges to his authority over Somalia’s federal member states. The President recently stated it was time to bid farewell to foreign troops, signalling a shift in Somalia’s security posture as Ethiopia pulls back from key positions in the country.
The fighting also coincides with ongoing operations against Al-Shabaab in other parts of Somalia, stretching federal security forces across multiple fronts. Saudi-backed training programmes have recently graduated 3,000 new soldiers, but the security landscape remains deeply fragmented.
Sources: Reuters; AP News; Al Jazeera; Somalia Today; Africanews; Horseed Media
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