Authorities in Somalia’s Southwest state declared victory Thursday after two days of heavy fighting with local militias in the regional capital, Baidoa.
State media said government security forces had ended what officials described as resistance by armed groups opposed to the administration of regional President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, widely known as Laftagareen.
In a statement, the regional administration said fighters it labeled as “anti-peace bandits” had been captured or forced to flee, adding that security operations were continuing to secure the city.
The clashes began earlier this week and were sparked by a security raid on the home of Hassan Elay, Somalia’s federal minister of livestock, according to local officials. The raid followed a dispute over land near Baidoa’s livestock market, they said.
The violence comes amid heightened political tensions in the Southwest state as Laftagareen’s term nears its end, raising concerns about instability ahead of anticipated local elections.
Officials have not released casualty figures from the fighting, which took place in residential neighborhoods of the city
