Federal government troops, backed by armed groups aligned with opposition groups in Southwest State, entered Baidoa on Monday following heavy fighting with Southwest regional state administration.
Residents reported intense gunfire on the outskirts of the town earlier in the day as the rival forces battled for control of key positions in the interim administrative capital. The number of casualties remains unclear, and neither side has released official figures. advertisements Footage shared on social media showed the newly appointed Bay Regional Police Commander, Sadiiq Doodishe, walking through neighborhoods in Baidoa alongside his troops.
Read more…
Source: Hiiraan News
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Somalia: Local clan militias kill al-Shabaab fighters in operation near Beledweyne town
December 12, 2025
Local clan militia forces known as Ma’awisley have killed several al-Shabaab militants during a military operation in the Dhoqor area, near the town of Beledweyne in the Hiiraan region, on Thursday. According to local sources, the operation was carried out by three militia members who also seized weapons belonging to two of the killed al-Shabaab fighters. ...
- Somalia: AUSSOM roots for coordinated global support
December 7, 2025
AUSSOM Head Amb. El Hadji Diene joined global leaders at the Doha Forum to push for predictable, coordinated international support for Somalia’s security, stabilization, and state-building efforts under the new AU-led mission He also highlighted essential enabling capabilities needed for mission success — including aviation assets, medical evacuation support, counter-IED expertise, engineering units, and intelligence, surveillance, ...
- Somalia: U.S. special forces join Puntland in major strike on ISIS hideout in Balade Valley
November 27, 2025
US Special Forces and Puntland counter-terrorism units have carried out a coordinated operation targeting an ISIS hideout in Somalia’s Balade Valley. According to security sources on Wednesday, dozens of US troops were inserted into the area using MH-60 helicopters, while MQ-9 Reaper drones conducted precision strikes on a base believed to house between 10 and 15 ...
- Somalia: Attackers fire grenades and board tanker heading to South Africa
November 6, 2025
Attackers firing machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades have boarded a ship off the coast of Somalia, United Kingdom officials say of the latest assault, likely by resurgent Somali pirates, in the region. “The Master of a vessel has reported being approached by 1 small craft on its stern. The small craft fired small arms and RPG’s towards ...
- Somalia: Founding al-Shabaab member killed in Middle Jubba airstrike
October 27, 2025
A senior al-Shabaab commander and founding member of the militant group was killed in a Somali government airstrike in Middle Jubba, the Defence Ministry announced Monday. The ministry said the strike, conducted on the night of October 26, targeted Bu’aale, a known militant stronghold, and killed Mahmoud Abdi Hamud, widely known as Jaafar Gurey. Officials said ...
- Somali police trained in Türkiye strengthen their country’s security capacity
October 19, 2025
Somali police officers trained in Türkiye are playing a growing role in strengthening their country’s security, benefiting from Türkiye’s decades of law enforcement experience and institutional cooperation. “Transferring the experience gained over the years by the law enforcement agencies affiliated with our Interior Ministry to the law enforcement agencies of friendly and allied countries significantly contributes ...
- Somalia: SNA, AUSSOM Conduct Mine Clearance Operations in Awdheegle
October 5, 2025
The Somali National Army (SNA), in collaboration with the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), has launched mine clearance operations in Awdheegle, Lower Shabelle region, after Al-Shabaab terrorists planted explosives along roads, near homes, and around the town. The operation aims to eliminate all explosive devices posing a threat to civilians and security forces, allowing ...
- Somalia: Suspected al-Shabaab militants attack Mogadishu’s Godka Jilacow prison
October 4, 2025
Suspected al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on Mogadishu’s heavily fortified Godka Jilacow prison on Saturday afternoon. The assault began with a suicide bombing followed by heavy gunfire. The facility, which is controlled by Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), is among the most secure sites in the capital. Reports indicate that several prisoners managed to ...
- Somalia: Danab Commandos, Jubbaland forces conduct mine clearance near Kismayo
September 19, 2025
Somali National Army’s elite Danab commandos, in collaboration with Jubbaland’s Dervish forces, carried out mine clearance operations on Thursday in the outskirts of Kismayo, the capital of the Lower Juba region. Danab officers told reporters that the operation was aimed at removing mines planted by al-Shabaab militants to protect civilians and secure key roads. “This mine ...
- Somalia: Defence, Security Ministers Approve National Plan to Counter IED Threats
September 15, 2025
Somalia’s Ministers of Defence and Internal Security on Monday took part in a high-level meeting to endorse the country’s new National Counter-IED (Improvised Explosive Devices) Strategy, aimed at curbing the deadly use of homemade explosives by armed groups. Also in attendance were the National Security Advisor and representatives from international partners, signaling broad-based support for the ...
- Somalia receives UK-donated vehicles and C-IED equipment to bolster army capabilities
September 11, 2025
Somalia’s Minister of Defence, H.E. Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, accompanied by Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Odowaa Yusuf Rageh, attended a ceremony marking the handover of modern vehicles and equipment aimed at countering improvised explosive devices (C-IED) from the United Kingdom. The assets were officially transferred to the Engineering Unit of the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) ...
- Somali forces kill senior Al-Shabaab commander Magaalabeen in Bakool region
August 18, 2025
Somali National Armed Forces have killed senior Al-Shabaab commander Hussein Moallim Hassan, known as Magaalabeen, during a military operation in Southwest state on Sunday. The operation took place near Buurdhuuxunle, about 17 km north of Waajid in Bakool region, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. Magaalabeen, one of Al-Shabaab’s most wanted leaders, had ...
- Somalia: Blast kills 2 Ethiopian soldiers in Baidoa town
August 9, 2025
At least two Ethiopian soldiers were killed and two others wounded in a roadside bomb attack on their convoy in Baidoa town, about 250km south-west of Mogadishu. The blast occurred on the road to Baidoa airport, targeting a convoy of Ethiopian forces serving in the African Union mission in Somalia. The explosion destroyed one military vehicle ...
- Somalia: Extremist rebels capture remote but key town in Hiiraan region
July 27, 2025
The extremist rebels of al-Shabab seized control of the central Somali town of Mahaas on Sunday after an assault involving explosions and a ground offensive, according to witnesses. Mahaas, in the central region of Hiraan, is located about 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of the federal capital, Mogadishu. The town is a key government outpost and ...
- Somalia: Explosion kills three African Union soldiers in Baidoa
July 21, 2025
At least three Ethiopian soldiers were reportedly killed and two others injured in a roadside bomb attack on their military convoy in Baidoa, some 250km south west of the capital, Mogadishu. The explosion, caused by a landmine, hit an armoured personnel carrier with Ethiopian troops serving under African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. Witnesses say the blast ...