Somalia: Somali Government Says Forces Repelled Attack in Baidoa

What the report says

Somalia’s federal government said its forces repelled an armed attack on Baidoa, the main city in the country’s South West State, early Thursday, according to a report distributed by AllAfrica from Shabelle Media Network. The statement described the attackers as part of an alliance of militants and said the assault began with explosions meant to frighten civilians.

The government said its troops confronted the assailants at dawn and inflicted heavy losses, but it did not release casualty figures or say how many fighters were involved. It also did not specify what weapons were used or whether the attackers briefly captured any positions during the fighting. Officials said an assessment of losses was still under way and that more details would be released later.

The report places the violence in the context of recurring political and security tensions in Baidoa, where the federal government has faced disputes with forces linked to former South West State president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. Earlier accounts cited in the article said some Laftagareen-aligned fighters had entered parts of the city before withdrawing toward the outskirts. Independent confirmation of the government’s account was not immediately available.

Baidoa has long been a sensitive center in Somalia’s broader struggle over regional authority, elections and security control. The latest clashes raise concern that political disputes in South West State could continue to feed instability on the ground.