Clashes erupted in Baidoa, the largest city in Somalia’s South West State, as opposition fighters loyal to the region’s former president launched an assault on federal military positions. According to the Defence Ministry, the attack began before dawn on Monday when the opposing forces deployed vehicles laden with explosives. The ministry reported that federal troops successfully repelled the assault and killed approximately 30 attackers.
The opposition forces are led by Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, who previously governed South West State. The Defence Ministry alleged that Laftagareen’s fighters coordinated with al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-affiliated militant organization. However, Laftagareen’s supporters made competing claims, stating through a Facebook post that their forces had captured the city center.
Local residents and humanitarian organizations documented the severity of the engagement. Multiple casualties were transported to facilities operated by Doctors Without Borders, and witnesses reported fighting occurring simultaneously across two separate fronts within the city. Residents characterized the clashes as the most intense confrontation since federal forces took control of Baidoa in March.
The underlying dispute traces to March, when President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud implemented controversial constitutional amendments that extended his term and significantly restructured Somalia’s power-sharing framework. Laftagareen responded by severing ties with the central government and subsequently resigned from his position. Since the army’s seizure of Baidoa, opposition forces have conducted multiple attacks on the city, including an unsuccessful attempt to regain control in May.
Baidoa, situated approximately 245 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu, hosts hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons fleeing conflict and environmental pressures. The ongoing instability has intensified Somalia’s humanitarian challenges, with millions of civilians confronting severe food insecurity and famine conditions.
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