Somalia's Defense Ministry said on June 16 that its troops had driven opposition fighters out of Baidoa, the largest city in the South West state, following several hours of intense clashes.
The clashes erupted before dawn that day when fighters loyal to former South West state president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen attacked positions held by federal forces. According to the Somali Defense Ministry, the militants used explosive-laden vehicles in the assault but were repelled after federal forces killed 30 fighters. The ministry also accused Laftagareen's forces of fighting alongside the al-Qaeda-linked armed group al-Shabab.
Earlier, in a Facebook post, Laftagareen's faction claimed its forces had seized control of the city center. However, local residents told AFP that these were the most intense clashes since Somali troops took control of the city in March. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), which operates health facilities in Baidoa, confirmed that many wounded had been brought to hospitals and that fighting occurred on two fronts.
Baidoa lies about 245 kilometers northwest of the capital Mogadishu and hosts hundreds of thousands of people displaced by war and climate change.
Laftagareen had led the South West state for over seven years before breaking with the central government in March, opposing controversial constitutional amendments pushed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. These amendments extended Mohamud's term by one year and significantly altered the fragile power-sharing agreement outlined in Somalia's provisional 2012 constitution.
The move triggered clashes across the country, including in the capital, as Somali troops captured Baidoa and led to Laftagareen's resignation. Fighters loyal to him have repeatedly attacked the city since then, including a failed attempt to regain control of the state in May.
The fighting and instability are exacerbating Somalia's severe humanitarian crisis, where millions face malnutrition and famine.
