BAIDOA — Mortar shells struck the airstrip in the town of Baidoa on Friday just as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud landed for his first visit since the federal government appointed an interim leader following the military removal of the former regional president.
Al-Shabaab Claims Responsibility
Videos circulating online shortly after the incident showed the president’s heavily armed security team quickly surrounding him on the tarmac before rapidly guiding him into a waiting bulletproof vehicle. Multiple explosions were reportedly heard near the airport perimeter at the exact moment of the delegation’s arrival.
The Al-Qaida-linked militant group Al-Shabaab swiftly claimed responsibility for the brazen attack. In a released statement, the militants confirmed that they specifically targeted the Baidoa airport with indirect mortar fire aimed directly at the president and his accompanying officials.
A Tense Political Backdrop
The president’s visit occurs against a highly volatile political backdrop. The trip comes just days after the federal government unilaterally appointed a caretaker administration for Southwest State—a controversial move that has faced intense criticism from opposition figures who claim the executive decision violates both federal and regional constitutions.
Despite the immediate security threat and the rising political tensions, the president’s overarching agenda to oversee the South West State transition remains unchanged. He is still scheduled to hold high-level, closed-door meetings with local officials and political figures to discuss future stabilization plans, evaluate humanitarian conditions in the town, and aggressively organize the logistics for direct regional elections in the coming weeks.
