The Somali Ministry of Defense said that government forces defeated militias in Baidoa this morning, which it described as loyal to the former president of South West, Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, and Al-Shabaab fighters who, according to the ministry, had merged.
A statement from the Ministry of Defense said that the fighting in Baidoa began at around 4:15 am, after the groups launched an attack on the city.
The ministry said that government forces strongly repelled the attack, which it said began with explosives used to terrorize the population.
The Ministry of Defense said that an assessment is currently underway to determine the casualties suffered by the parties that carried out the attack, noting that official details will be released once the assessment is completed.
The fighting in Baidoa comes at a time of heightened security tensions in the city between the Federal Government and parties supporting Abdiasis Laftagareen.
The Federal Government claims to have defeated militias supporting Laftagareen and Al-Shabaab in Baidoa.
