Intense clashes have broken out in the Somali city of Baidoa between government forces and fighters loyal to the ousted regional president. Fighter jets and drones were reported as the hostilities flared on Monday in the South West State city after thousands of local fighters entered the city in the morning. Violence has plagued the city in recent weeks as the army seeks to maintain the control it wrested earlier this year.
He added that the local fighters had vehicles loaded with explosives and explosive drones. A number of states in Somalia oppose President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. His government sent troops to oust the head of South West State, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen in March.
Laftagareen has repeatedly attempted to retake the area, including the administrative capital of Baidoa. In a statement, Laftagareen congratulated fighters for the operation, saying that the aim was to “maintain security [and] restore stability and diversity” in Baidoa. The medical NGO Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said three people had died including a healthcare worker.
Roads leading to hospitals in Baidoa were blocked, and MSF said it is concerned that many wounded people are unable to access treatment. Two medical staff working with its teams were robbed and one was injured. Fighting erupted in Baidoa on August 17, when Bay Regional Hospital reported four deaths and 94 people wounded, and again on September 3, when 71 people were treated for injuries and one death was recorded.
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