Somali Forces Repel Rebel Assault to Retain Control of Strategic City Baidoa

Civilians gather as smoke billows from a shop hit by artillery following clashes between Somalia's federal troops and armed opposition groups, in Baidoa, Somalia [Reuters]. Somalia’s army announced it has successfully driven opposition fighters out of Baidoa, the largest city in Somalia’s South West State, following hours of intense combat.

The violence broke out before dawn on Monday when fighters loyal to the state’s former president, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, launched an attack on positions held by federal forces, according to the Defence Ministry. The ministry reported that the assailants utilized vehicles laden with explosives, but federal troops successfully repelled the assault after killing 30 attackers. Furthermore, the ministry accused Laftagareen’s forces of collaborating with the al-Qaeda-linked armed group al-Shabab.

Prior to the government's statement, Laftagareen’s camp claimed via a Facebook post that its forces had taken control of the city centre. Local residents informed the AFP news agency that these clashes were the most severe since the Somalian army assumed control of the city in March. Doctors Without Borders, operator of local facilities in Baidoa, confirmed to the agency that multiple casualties had arrived at its hospital and noted that fighting had taken place on two fronts.

Baidoa is situated approximately 245km (150 miles) northwest of the Somali capital Mogadishu and currently accommodates hundreds of thousands of individuals displaced by ongoing conflict and climate events. Laftagareen governed South West State for over seven years until March, when he cut ties with Mogadishu in response to controversial constitutional amendments advanced by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. These legislative changes prolonged Mohamud’s term by a year and significantly modified Somalia's delicate power-sharing framework, which is defined in the 2012 provisional constitution.

This political shift triggered nationwide clashes, including incidents in the capital, during which the Somalian army occupied Baidoa, prompting Laftagareen to step down. Armed groups loyal to him have repeatedly targeted the city since, which included an unsuccessful attempt to regain control of the state in May. Persistent fighting and instability continue to worsen a critical humanitarian crisis across the nation, where millions currently struggle with malnutrition and famine.