Reports Claim Security Forces Defect to Laftagareen’s Armed Movement as South West Tensions Escalate

Baidoa (WDN) – Reports emerging from Somalia’s South West State claim that a contingent of security forces, accompanied by military vehicles, has defected from government-controlled territory and joined the armed movement led by former South West President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen), marking what could be a significant development in the region’s deepening political and military standoff.

According to local sources, the forces departed from Wanlaweyn in the Lower Shabelle region before traveling to the outskirts of Baidoa, where they reportedly linked up with Laftagareen’s fighters. The reports further claim that the convoy was led by the commander of the Wanlaweyn Police Station and included several armed technical vehicles, suggesting an organized rather than isolated defection. The claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate official response from the Federal Government or South West State authorities.

A senior figure within Laftagareen’s armed movement reportedly welcomed the newly arrived forces, describing their decision as a boost to what the group calls its campaign to “liberate” South West State. This latest defection is one of four previous defections, so it appears defection is becoming the norm rather than exception. “We thank you for undertaking this long journey to join the struggle to reclaim South West,” the commander was quoted as saying while receiving the new arrivals.

The alleged defections come as armed confrontations and political tensions continue to intensify around Baidoa, the administrative capital of South West State. Laftagareen’s forces have in recent weeks reportedly carried out a series of hit-and-run attacks targeting positions around the city, underscoring the increasingly volatile security environment.