Somali army clashes with local forces for control of Baidoa

What the report says

Intense fighting broke out in Baidoa, a city in Somalia’s South West State, as government forces clashed with fighters loyal to the region’s ousted president, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. According to Al Jazeera, the violence flared on Monday after thousands of local fighters entered the city, with the army using fighter jets and drones as it sought to keep control of an area it had previously seized earlier in the year.

The report said senior army commander Mohamed Ali described the government side as repelling the fighters and said the local group had vehicles carrying explosives and explosive drones. Laftagareen, for his part, praised the operation and said it aimed to restore security and stability in Baidoa. The fighting reflects wider political tensions in Somalia, where several states oppose President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and disputes over regional control have persisted.

The human impact was immediate. Al Jazeera reported that civilians were stranded and unable to flee or get to hospitals because roads were blocked and both sides were active across the city. Doctors Without Borders said three people were killed, including a healthcare worker, and Bay Regional Hospital received 69 wounded people, among them five children. The aid group also said a health facility was badly damaged and an ambulance was looted. It added that this was the third round of clashes in Baidoa in six weeks, underscoring the repeated risk to civilians and medical services.