Deadly fighting in Baidoa as Somalia clashes

At least four civilians were killed and 98 others wounded during hours of fierce fighting between Somali government troops and militias in the southwestern city of Baidoa on Monday, according to a hospital official. The violence, which began before dawn, saw fighters loyal to a former regional president attack federal positions, with the government accusing them of coordinating with the al-Qaeda-linked extremist group al-Shabab.

The clashes erupted early Monday when militia groups launched an assault on government positions on the outskirts of Baidoa, a city of more than half a million people, including hundreds of thousands displaced by conflict and drought. Dr. Abdikafi Omar Mohamud, head of the emergencies department at Bay Regional Hospital, reported that the fighting killed at least four civilians and injured 98, including 28 women and an elderly man struck by stray bullets. The influx of casualties placed severe strain on health services already struggling with shortages of essential medicines and limited bed capacity.

Somali officials stated that federal forces repelled the attack, killing nearly 30 attackers. South West state authorities provided a higher toll, claiming...