Somalia: Heavy Fighting Erupts in Somalia's Baidoa As Rival Forces Clash

What the report says

Heavy fighting broke out in Baidoa, Somalia, on Thursday, according to reporting distributed by AllAfrica from Shabelle Media Network. Local sources said the clashes involved forces loyal to former South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen and troops aligned with the federal government. The fighting reportedly began after Laftagareen-aligned Darawish forces attacked federal positions, triggering gunfire and explosions in several parts of the city.

The article said residents reported that Laftagareen’s forces entered areas of Baidoa and may have taken control of several neighbourhoods, including zones near Cunaay and Ceel Cabdi Shiraay. Other claims, which could not be independently verified, said the Ninth Brigade base in Boonkaay and areas such as Al-Faras were seized. Civilians were said to have fled some districts, with others taking shelter at a mosque as mortar fire, stray bullets and rocket-propelled grenades were reported nearby. The extent of damage to homes and responsibility for fires in some residential areas remained unclear.

A spokesman for Laftagareen-aligned forces said in a video statement that the group had launched an operation against federal positions and urged residents to stay indoors. Federal forces were reported to be resisting, while warplanes were seen overhead without confirmation of any airstrikes. The report said no independently verified casualty count was available.

The clashes reflect a broader political dispute over control of South West State, where Laftagareen remains at odds with the federal government-backed administration led by parliamentary speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe. The situation in Baidoa, a key city in southwestern Somalia, remained tense as of Thursday.