Deadly Baidoa Clashes Leave Civilians Dead, Wounded
Clashes in Baidoa between government forces and militias killed dozens, including four civilians, and wounded 98 others, straining local hospitals.
At least four civilians were killed and 98 others wounded during hours of intense fighting between Somali government troops and militias in the southwestern city of Baidoa, a hospital official said Tuesday. The clashes, which erupted early Monday, also left dozens of combatants dead.
Dr. Abdikafi Omar Mohamud, head of the emergencies department at Bay Regional Hospital, said the wounded included 28 women and an elderly man struck by stray bullets. The hospital, which has only 40 beds, set up an emergency tent to manage the influx of patients and is facing shortages of essential medicines.
The violence began around 5 a.m. Monday with explosions near a military base east of Baidoa, followed by heavy fighting near another base south of the city. Armed men then entered Baidoa and exchanged fire with government troops. Officials said at least 30 attackers were killed, though South West state authorities reported a higher toll of about 50. The figures could not be independently verified.
Security analyst Samira Gaid said fighters loyal to former South West state President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen briefly displaced the new administration's troops from parts of the city before being driven out. In separate attacks, al-Shabab militants struck two military positions on the city's outskirts. The federal government said the attackers included Laftagareen-aligned militias and al-Shabab fighters.
South West Internal Security Minister Isak Mohamed Korsaar confirmed that government troops recovered the bodies of al-Shabab fighters and captured others alive. "The militias that attacked us were not alone," he said. "We have confirmed that they were accompanied by al-Shabab."
The fighting followed months of political tension over South West's leadership. The federal government rejected Laftagareen's disputed re-election in March, and federal troops took control of Baidoa on March 30, prompting his resignation.
By Tuesday, calm had returned to Baidoa, with security forces patrolling major streets and inspecting damaged buildings. Residents cautiously emerged from their homes, though troops maintained a heavy presence. Gaid warned that the clashes showed how political disputes can create openings for extremist groups. "When elite disputes are settled militarily, they create the conditions that the terrorist group exploits," she said. "It is Somali civilians who pay for it."