Two senior Somali commanders were killed in an ambush outside Baidoa, the largest city in the volatile Southwest State, reports reaching APA on Thursday revealed.
The killings further plunged the Southwest State into deep political and security uncertainty amid a bitter dispute over recent regional elections.
According to information reaching APA, Col. Yonis Adam, commander of the 8th Brigade, and Col. Ali Yonis, commander of the 9th Brigade of the 60th Division, were killed when their convoy was targeted in the outskirts of the city.
Mogadishu blamed the al-Shabaab for the assassinations but the militant group has not claimed responsibility.
The targeted killings have sparked intense speculation and raised tensions, coming just hours after forces loyal to the ousted South West State President, Abdiaziz Laftagareen, claimed they had conducted a military operation in the same area earlier on Thursday.
While the streets of Baidoa remain quiet, residents report a highly volatile atmosphere.
Federal government troops and armed factions loyal to the former regional administration are locked in a tense standoff across several neighbourhoods and the outskirts of the city, threatening to push the region into further instability.
The military clash unfolds against the backdrop of a widening political crisis in the regional state.
The Independent Electoral Commission recently announced that the Justice and Social Party (JSP), led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, won the South West State elections, effectively unseating Laftagareen’s administration.
Opposition candidates, including former regional president Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and Ilyas Ali Nur, vehemently rejected the results, alleging widespread vote-rigging and accusing the federal government of using force to manipulate the electoral process.
Meanwhile, high-stakes negotiations between the Somali federal government and the opposition “Council of the Future” collapsed on Wednesday following a heated debate over the country’s stalled electoral process, sources close to the talks said.
The meeting, held under heavy security at the fortified Halane base, ended without an agreement as both sides remained sharply divided on key issues.
MG/as/APA