FIGHTING ERUPTS IN BAIDOA AS SOMALI FORCES CLASH WITH MILITIAS
September 3, 2026 Fresh fighting erupted in and around Baidoa, a major city in southwestern Somalia, on Thursday as government forces clashed with armed militias, sending residents fleeing their homes amid heavy gunfire. The renewed violence represents another serious escalation in the political and security tensions surrounding Somalia's South West State. The clashes reportedly began early in the day on the outskirts of Baidoa before spreading into areas of the city. According to Somalia's Defense Ministry, government forces responded to an attack involving fighters loyal to former South West state President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen. The ministry also alleged that al-Shabab fighters participated in the attack, although that claim could not immediately be independently verified. RESIDENTS FLEE AS GUNFIRE ROCKS BAIDOA The fighting caused panic among residents, with reports of heavy gunfire and stray bullets reaching residential areas. Some civilians ...