Video: Deaths Reported as Heavy Fighting Erupts in Baidoa, Somalia
Heavy fighting erupted in Baidoa, Somalia, on Monday, September 28, with deaths and injuries reported as federal government forces battled fighters loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.
Kaab TV reported preliminary accounts of casualties, but no independently verified death toll was available.
Residents described sustained gunfire and heavy weapons fire across several neighbourhoods, with some sheltering inside their homes and others attempting to reach safer areas.
Fighting reported near presidential palace
Kaab TV and Garowe Online reported clashes in areas including Boonkaay, Barwaaqo, Munaawar, Al-Axmaar and Al-Faras. Residents also reported heavy shelling near the South West State presidential palace.
Reports of drone attacks and destroyed armoured vehicles remained unverified. The extent of damage to civilian buildings and infrastructure was not immediately clear.
Rival forces issue conflicting claims
Laftagareen-aligned fighters claimed they had entered Baidoa and captured parts of the city. Forces supporting the administration led by Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe said they had defended their positions and repelled the attack.
Control of the contested areas could not be independently established.
The clashes mark another escalation in the struggle over South West State’s leadership. Baidoa has experienced repeated confrontations between the rival camps, placing residents and displaced families living in the city at risk.
