Thursday September 3, 2026
Baidoa (HOL) — Forces loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen attacked Baidoa on Thursday morning, triggering clashes with South West and federal government forces, according to residents and footage shared on social media.
Residents said Laftagareen-aligned forces entered the city from several directions before fighting broke out.
He called on residents to remain indoors during the operation, saying people and children should not leave their homes until the forces complete their activities.
“The various forces fighting in the city and those in other areas should surrender,” Ugaas Hassan said, calling on fighters to report to designated areas for registration and other procedures.
In response, federal Ministry of Defense said government forces had defeated militias in Baidoa that it described as loyal to Laftagareen and linked to al-Shabab.
The ministry said the fighting began at about 4:15 a.m. after the groups launched an attack on the city.
“Government forces strongly repelled the attack, which began with explosions intended to frighten residents,” the ministry said.
The Ministry of Defense said an assessment was underway to determine casualties among the attacking forces and that official details would be released once the assessment is completed.
The number of casualties from the fighting remains unclear.
The clashes reportedly stopped at around 9 a.m. local time.
It was the second time in three weeks that forces loyal to Laftagareen had attacked Baidoa.
The attack comes amid a deepening political dispute between the federal government and Laftagareen, who has rejected the authority of the current South West administration and maintains that he remains the legitimate president of the state.
The federal government and South West authorities have accused forces loyal to Laftagareen of attempting to destabilize Baidoa and regain control of the city.
Laftagareen’s side has denied links to al-Shabab and has previously accused the federal government of politicizing the security situation in South West State.
- This story has been updated to include additional quotes from the federal government and a spokesman for the former South West State president.
