BAIDOA , Somalia — August 20, 2026 — Forces aligned with former South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen have threatened further attacks against federal troops in Baidoa, days after deadly fighting shook the southwestern Somali city and caused civilian casualties.

Ugaas Hassan Mohamed, a spokesman for the Laftagareen-aligned forces, accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and his administration of trying to impose their political and security agenda on South West State.

“Hassan Sheikh and his team will not succeed in doing whatever they want in South West State,” Mohamed said. “We will remove their forces from Baidoa and liberate the city.”

The spokesman said the armed group was prepared for a prolonged confrontation and would continue its campaign until federal forces were expelled from Baidoa.

“Our struggle may take time, but it will continue until Baidoa is liberated,” he said. “As long as we are alive, we will not allow Hassan Sheikh to succeed in Baidoa.”

The statements could not be independently verified. The federal government and Turkish authorities had not immediately responded publicly to the spokesman’s latest accusations and threats.

Warning Directed at Turkey

Mohamed also accused the Turkish government of supporting President Mohamud in what he alleged was a “massacre of South West people.” He provided no evidence supporting the allegation.

“We will defeat you, Turkey, and Hassan Sheikh. The land belongs to us, and victory will be ours,” he said.

The spokesman claimed that Turkish military aircraft and advanced weapons would not force the opposition fighters to abandon their campaign.

“We are not afraid of Turkish warplanes,” he said. “Whatever aircraft or advanced weapons are brought to Baidoa, they will not intimidate us.”

He described the fighters as a liberation force and said further federal military deployments would not end the confrontation.

“Whatever you call us, we are freedom fighters, and we will demonstrate that we can defeat you,” Mohamed said.

Turkey is one of the Somali federal government’s closest security partners. Ankara has trained thousands of Somali soldiers and supplied military equipment to support operations officially focused on combating the al-Shabab insurgency.

Turkey has also deployed military aircraft to Somalia. Its Defence Ministry confirmed the deployment of F-16 fighter jets in April, while Turkish aircraft have since participated in operations against al-Shabab targets. Reports in July also placed Turkish jets in Baidoa during a visit by senior Somali officials.

No independently verified information has established that Turkish aircraft participated in this week’s fighting between federal troops and the Laftagareen-aligned forces.

Deadly Fighting in Baidoa

The warning follows fierce clashes on August 17 between federal troops and armed opposition fighters linked to Laftagareen.

Somalia’s Defence Ministry said opposition fighters attacked federal positions before dawn using vehicles loaded with explosives. The ministry said government forces drove the attackers from Baidoa and killed about 30 of them.

Residents later told Reuters that federal troops had regained control of the city. Videos verified by the news agency showed federal soldiers firing from an armoured vehicle and civilians carrying injured people through the streets.

Bay Regional Hospital reported that at least four civilians were killed and 98 people were wounded, including 28 women. Authorities issued differing figures for the number of combatants killed, making an independent overall death toll difficult to establish.

The fighting added pressure on Baidoa’s overstretched health facilities and frightened residents in a city hosting more than half a million people displaced by conflict and drought.

Federal forces took control of Baidoa on March 30 after weeks of political tension between Mogadishu and Laftagareen’s administration. Laftagareen resigned shortly after the takeover, days after securing another term in a disputed regional process.

His administration had opposed constitutional amendments backed by the federal government and accused Mogadishu of interfering in South West State’s political affairs. Federal authorities, in turn, accused the former regional leadership of creating political instability.

The dispute reflects wider disagreements within Somalia’s federal system over elections, constitutional changes and the division of authority between the national government and regional states.

Baidoa remains strategically important because it serves as South West State’s administrative capital and hosts federal forces, international peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies.

The latest statement suggests that Laftagareen-aligned fighters intend to continue their armed campaign despite their withdrawal from Baidoa following the August 17 clashes.