MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s 60th Division of the national army said Saturday it had seized military vehicles and a cache of weapons following fighting in the southwestern city of Baidoa, where rival security forces reportedly clashed earlier in the day.
In a statement, the division’s command said its troops had regained control of areas affected by the violence and pushed back forces loyal to South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed, commonly known as Laftagareen.
The military said the situation in Baidoa, the administrative capital of the Bay region, had returned to calm after government forces secured key positions in the city.
Residents reported hearing heavy gunfire and explosions during the clashes, which erupted in several parts of the city. However, the exact number of casualties and the extent of damage remained unclear.
The army’s claims could not be independently verified, and no photographic evidence of the alleged seized vehicles and weapons was immediately available.
South West State authorities and forces aligned with Laftagareen had not issued any official statement by the time of publication, leaving the circumstances surrounding the confrontation disputed.
The fighting comes amid heightened political and security tensions in South West State, where disagreements over governance and security arrangements have fueled periodic confrontations between rival factions.
Further details on the casualties and the cause of the clashes were not immediately available.
