Somalia troops and armed opposition clash in heavy Baidoa fighting as civilian toll rises

Somalia's federal troops and armed opposition groups engaged in intense combat in the city center of Baidoa on Monday, according to a local resident and an army officer speaking to Reuters. Baidoa, located in the country's South West state, serves as the administrative capital and is home to international peacekeepers and humanitarian organizations. It is one of the largest cities in Somalia, with an estimated population exceeding one million individuals.

The renewed fighting in Baidoa could exacerbate a critical humanitarian situation in the region. A July survey conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières revealed that hundreds of thousands of displaced people reside in the city, with one in four children suffering from severe malnutrition at displacement sites, as reported by the aid organization.

Militias loyal to the former Baidoa president launched an attack from two directions, clashing with two battalions of federal military forces. The fighting has since escalated, as reported by Farah Nur, a local shopkeeper who spoke to Reuters. Federal troops have been in control of Baidoa since March, following their seizure of the city, which led to the resignation of South West state leader Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen.

Heavier weaponry was deployed during the conflict, resulting in the deaths of civilians struck by stray bullets, according to Nur. He recounted seeing at least two civilians killed in their homes and several others injured, with many being transported to hospitals. Laftagareen's spokesperson, Hassan Mohamed, claimed in a Facebook post that their troops had captured Baidoa and demanded that federal forces surrender, although this assertion could not be independently confirmed.

Captain Osman Abdullahi, a Somalia federal military officer, also spoke to Reuters regarding the ongoing violence. He stated that there are casualties as stray bullets enter houses.