Somalia federal troops, armed opposition clash in Baidoa city

Baidoa, a city in southern Somalia with a population exceeding one million, witnessed heavy clashes on Monday between federal troops and armed opposition groups, according to local sources and an army officer quoted by Reuters.

The city, which serves as the administrative capital of the South West state, is known for hosting international peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies. It is one of the largest cities in Somalia, with over a million residents. The presence of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons in the city has contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis, as evidenced by a July survey by Médecins Sans Frontières, which found that one in four children at displacement sites was severely malnourished.

Militias loyal to the former Baidoa president launched an attack on the city from two directions, clashing with two battalions of federal military forces. The fighting escalated, with Farah Nur, a local shopkeeper, informing Reuters that federal troops were employing heavy weapons. He reported witnessing at least two civilians killed in their homes by stray bullets and several others injured, who were subsequently taken to the hospital.

Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, the South West state leader, resigned following the federal takeover of the city in March, which triggered his departure. Former spokesman Hassan Mohamed claimed on Facebook that federal forces had captured Baidoa and demanded that the militias surrender. However, this assertion could not be independently verified.

According to Captain Osman Abdullahi, a Somalia federal military officer, the armed militias initiated the assault on Baidoa this morning. They are reportedly pushing back the opposition forces. However, the process is complicated by the presence of stray bullets entering civilian houses, resulting in casualties.