BAIDOA, Somalia — August 17, 2026 — Heavy fighting intensified in central Baidoa on Monday as forces loyal to former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed “Laftagareen” battled federal government troops supporting the rival administration led by Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur “Madobe,” escalating a political dispute into a major confrontation for control of the regional capital.
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Video footage from central Baidoa showed Laftagareen-aligned fighters exchanging fire with federal forces as sustained gunfire and explosions were reported in the city center and surrounding residential areas.
Forces supporting Laftagareen were also seen moving through the Mursal neighborhood following the fighting. Their presence indicated that they had established positions in the area, although the full extent of their territorial control could not be independently confirmed.
Reports from inside Baidoa indicated that Laftagareen-aligned forces had advanced into several locations, including Siliga, Warshadda Hassay, Boonkaay and Bangi Qiyaamay. Some accounts said the forces had reached parts of the city center.
The situation remained fluid, with neither side providing a comprehensive account of the areas under its control. The number of fighters involved in the confrontation was also unknown.
Telephone and internet services provided by Hormuud Telecom were disrupted across Baidoa as the fighting intensified, complicating efforts to obtain information from residents and officials inside the city. The cause of the communications outage was not immediately established.
Rival Forces Battle for Baidoa
South West State is claimed by two competing political administrations, both of which assert that they possess the legal authority to govern the region.
The administration based in Baidoa is led by Sheikh Aden Madobe and supported by the Federal Government of Somalia and federal security forces. The competing administration is led by Laftagareen, whose loyalists had previously maintained positions mainly outside the regional capital.
Monday’s fighting marked a significant escalation, with Laftagareen-aligned forces moving into Baidoa and confronting federal troops inside densely populated sections of the city.
Ugaas Hassan Abdi Mohamed, a spokesman for the Laftagareen-aligned South West administration, called on rival fighters remaining in Baidoa to surrender to the South West Darwish forces supporting the former regional president.
Speaking after his forces entered the city, Mohamed used the terms “Salbalaar” and “Af-Balaar” to describe the opposing fighters, whom he characterized as forces brought from Mogadishu.
“We call on the Salbalaar and Af-Balaar militias who are still carrying weapons in Baidoa to surrender to the South West Darwish forces supporting Laftagareen,” Mohamed said.
The terms used by the spokesman are politically charged descriptions for the rival forces and do not represent independently verified military classifications.
The Aden Madobe administration and the Federal Government of Somalia had not immediately issued a detailed response to the surrender demand or a public assessment of the latest battlefield situation.
Civilian Casualties and Damage
Civilian casualties were reported as fighting spread through residential neighborhoods, but no official casualty figure was immediately available.
An eyewitness told Baidoa Online that he saw young men carrying at least two injured civilians following an incident in the Warshadda Hassay neighborhood.
Security sources said a rocket-propelled grenade struck a residential building in the area, causing two homes to catch fire. It was not immediately clear which side fired the grenade or whether other people had been trapped inside the affected buildings.
The identities and medical conditions of the injured civilians were not immediately known. Local authorities and health facilities had not released verified casualty figures at the time of publication.
The fighting and communications disruption have heightened concerns for civilians attempting to leave affected neighborhoods or contact relatives. There was no immediate information about the number of families displaced by the clashes.
The confrontation follows a prolonged political dispute between Laftagareen and the federal government over elections, Somalia’s federal system and the leadership of South West State.
Laftagareen’s supporters accuse federal authorities in Mogadishu of attempting to remove him through coercive political and security measures. The federal government supports the administration led by Aden Madobe in Baidoa.
Both camps claim political legitimacy, creating rival command structures and deepening divisions among security forces and political leaders in the region.
Baidoa is the administrative capital of South West State and an important political, humanitarian and military center in southwestern Somalia. Control of the city would therefore carry major political and security consequences for both rival administrations.
The entry of Laftagareen-aligned forces into central Baidoa represents a dangerous shift from political rivalry to direct urban warfare. Prolonged fighting could divide the city into competing zones of control and make negotiations more difficult.
The confrontation also risks weakening operations against Al-Shabaab, which remains active in parts of South West State. Federal and regional forces engaged in an internal power struggle may have fewer personnel and resources available for operations against the militant group.
Civilians face the most immediate danger. Fighting involving heavy weapons in residential neighborhoods increases the risk of deaths, injuries, fires, displacement and damage to essential infrastructure.