Somalia's army thwarts militia assault on Baidoa amid political unrest
Somalia's Defence Ministry said its forces repelled an early-morning attack on Baidoa by militias loyal to ousted governor Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.
Early Thursday, militias aligned with ousted South West State governor Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen attacked Baidoa, Somalia's largest city in the region. The Defence Ministry reported that the assault started with explosions intended to terrorise civilians, but the army countered and inflicted a heavy defeat on the assailants. Fighting lasted several hours, with witnesses hearing gunfire and explosions across the town; some residents later described the city as calm after about six hours.
A spokesperson for Laftagareen's forces claimed they had captured parts of Baidoa, while the ministry accused the attackers of operating alongside al-Shabab terrorists. The government is still assessing the number of fighters killed and will release details once the evaluation is complete. The clash reflects ongoing tensions between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's administration and regional opponents, including Laftagareen, who has repeatedly tried to retake control of the state.
