BAIDOA — Intense armed conflict erupted on the outskirts of Baidoa early Monday morning, as forces aligned with the Somali Federal Government engaged loyalist troops associated with former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed “Laftagareen.” The clashes mark a significant escalation in regional instability, with local political leaders and federal military authorities presenting starkly opposing accounts of the battlefield outcomes.

Footage verified on social media depicts armed fighters loyal to Laftagareen maneuvering within several districts of Baidoa. Prominent local figures, including Ugaas Hassan and former regional Minister Hassan Abdiquadir, issued public statements asserting that their combatants had successfully established control over the strategic Bay region capital.

Conversely, the Command of the Somali National Army (SNA) rejected claims of a city fall, issuing an official communique stating that federal troops successfully intercepted and neutralized a coordinated offensive by militia elements referred to in government parlance as “Khawarij.” According to the Ministry of Defense, the assault coincided with ongoing security operations and heightened-alert protocols across the South West State. Federal authorities reported that government forces maintained pre-established defensive positions and forced the advancing militia into a retreat.

In a formal press briefing, military spokespersons confirmed that government forces inflicted substantial personnel and logistical losses on the opposition group. Approximately 30 militia combatants were killed in action during the engagement, with multiple fighters captured alive. Furthermore, federal units recovered heavy armaments, small arms, and operational combat vehicles abandoned by the retreating forces. The SNA Command confirmed that military personnel are currently conducting cleanup operations on the city’s perimeter, with a comprehensive damage assessment report to be released upon final site verification.