BAYDHABO— Fighting has been reported in Baydhabo, the capital of Somalia’s Baay region and the interim administrative capital of South West State, with early accounts indicating casualties, though the exact toll remains unconfirmed.

Local residents and sources in the city said the clashes began on Wednesday afternoon and resumed on Thursday, involving South West State security forces and troops described as loyal to a Somali National Army officer identified as Abdirahman Niishow. Witnesses reported sustained exchanges of gunfire, with heavy fighting concentrated in the Onodka neighbourhood and nearby areas.

Preliminary information from local sources suggests the confrontation may have been triggered by a dispute linked to land ownership, which later escalated into armed hostilities.

The situation remains tense, and communications in Baydhabo are reported to be significantly restricted, complicating efforts to independently verify details and confirm the number of casualties.

A South West State official said security forces were confronting “armed militia,” but there has been no public response from Officer Abdirahman Niishow at the time of writing.