Africa-Press. Explosions and gunfire shook the city of Baidoa, the largest city in the Southwest State of Somalia, as armed groups launched an attack amid ongoing political tensions in the region.
This was announced in a statement by the Somali military, which declared that it repelled an attack by two armed groups in Baidoa, Southwest State of Somalia.
The Somali Ministry of Defense stated that militias loyal to former regional administration leader Abdi Aziz Hassan, known as “Laftagaren,” launched the attack early Thursday morning.
It added that “the attack began with explosions aimed at terrorizing civilians,” but the military said it “responded bravely and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers.”
The fighting lasted several hours, and witnesses reported that gunfire and explosions were heard in various parts of the city, prompting residents to stay indoors.
In response, Laftagaren’s office praised the operation carried out by the “Darwish forces” in Baidoa, claiming that its goal was “to maintain security and restore stability and order to the city.”
The office indicated that “during the operation, two vehicles were burned, while three others were seized,” noting that the “Darwish forces inflicted significant losses on Al-Shabaab forces,” according to a statement from Laftagaren’s office.
On Sunday, the Southwest State Cabinet announced the inclusion of former regional administration leader Laftagaren and his allied forces on terrorism lists.
The council stated that it reviewed evidence and information regarding cooperation between Laftagaren’s forces and elements of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, pointing out that the attacks and explosions that occurred on August 17 in Baidoa involved joint participation from both Laftagaren’s forces and Al-Shabaab.
In a statement at that time, the council noted that the federal government of Somalia and Southwest State would jointly address terrorist entities.
Laftagaren announced his resignation from the position of Southwest State leader on March 30 following disputes over elections and relations with Mogadishu.
Previously, the Southwest State government called on Kenyan authorities to arrest Laftagaren and hand him over to the federal government via Interpol, following accusations of orchestrating armed attacks and clashes in Baidoa.
Several states oppose the leadership of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who also faces an ongoing insurgency from the armed group Al-Shabaab, which controls vast areas of central Somalia.
In March, the government sent forces to oust Laftagaren.
In May, Laftagaren launched a failed attempt to regain control of the state, and in August, his forces clashed with federal troops for control of Baidoa.
Laftagaren was among those opposing President Mohamud’s attempts to push the country toward democratic elections, instead of the existing system based on clan elders.
