Fresh clashes erupted in Baidoa, the southwestern city of Somalia, after forces loyal to former South West president Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, known as Laftagareen, attacked positions held by the Somali National Army.
According to information reaching APA on Friday, Laftagaren’s forces launched the assault from the northern outskirts of Baidoa, targeting military bases occupied by the Turkish-trained Gorgor Special Forces and military police.
The attack triggered prolonged exchanges of gunfire centered in the Horseed neighbourhood.
Witnesses told APA that Laftagareen’s forces have taken control of parts of the town while the national army was mobilizing troops to drive them away.
The crack of gunfire and repeated explosions from heavy weapons echoed across Baidoa throughout the night as both sides exchanged fire, awakening residents and spreading panic across a city that has increasingly become an active frontline in recent months, residents in the city told APA.
The residents said the fighting resulted in casualties among the targeted security forces as well as civilians. Some of the wounded were rushed to hospitals in Baidoa for treatment.
The clashes mark the latest escalation in months of recurring violence in Baidoa, the capital of Bay region, where political tensions have persisted following the establishment of a new South West administration backed by Somalia’s federal government.
Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur, widely known as Aden Madobe, who is leading the new administration built by the Somali government, is facing mounting challenges in consolidating power, winning public support, and restoring security in the city.
Residents and local elders have criticized the new administration, alleging it was installed with federal backing rather than through broad local consensus. The residents also accuse the authorities of unfair power-sharing and an unequal distribution of government positions.
MG/as/APA