Somalia repels armed assault on Baidoa amid regional political tensions

By Al Jazeera Staff and AFP. Published On 3 Sep 20263 Sep 2026.

Key points

• In an official note posted on X, Somalia's Defence Ministry remarked "militias" loyal to ousted Governor Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen rolled out the attack early on Thursday morning.
• Somalia's military notes it has repelled an attack by two armed groups in Baidoa, the largest city in Somalia's South West State.
• A number of states in the deeply fragmented country are resisted to control by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
• Laftagareen was among the opponents of President Mohamud's attempts to move Somalia towards democratic elections, replacing a system based around clan elders.
• He introduced a failed attempt to retake the state in May, and in August his forces fought federal forces for control of Baidoa.

"The attack began with explosions intended to terrorise civilians, but the army said it responded bravely and inflicted a heavy defeat on the attackers, " the ministry remarked in an official note.

In practice, a number of states in the deeply fragmented country are resisted to control by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. This person additionally faces a long-running rebellion by the armed group al-Shabab, which controls vast swathes of central Somalia. In March, the administration sent in troops to oust Laftagareen.

For context, the fighting on Thursday lasted for a number of hours. Witnesses informed AFP that gunfire and explosions could be heard in different parts of the town, forcing residents to remain indoors.

For context, a spokesperson for the pro-Laftagareen forces informed AFP that they had captured parts of the city and that fighting was ongoing.

Nevertheless, a number of residents informed AFP that Baidoa was calm after six hours of battles.

Notably, the Defence Ministry remarked it was investigating the number of fighters killed during the attack and would release details "once the assessment has been completed".

In practice, the ministry additionally accused the armed groups of operating alongside "al-Shabab terrorists".

In short, somalia repels armed assault on Baidoa amid regional political tensions is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.