BAIDOA, Somalia — South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen convened a high-level security council meeting on Saturday in Baidoa, urging senior officials to intensify counterterrorism operations and strengthen coordination across the region’s security apparatus.
The closed-door meeting brought together military commanders, intelligence officials, police leadership, and regional administrators amid a renewed push to degrade Al-Shabab’s influence in Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shabelle — areas that have seen both recent government gains and persistent militant activity.
Laftagareen called for heightened vigilance, warning that Al-Shabab remains “a serious and adaptive threat” despite sustained operations by federal and regional forces. He stressed that improved communication between security agencies, rapid information sharing, and unified command structures were essential to preventing militant attacks and securing recently recovered areas.
“We must maintain pressure on the enemy, close their mobility corridors, and ensure our communities are protected,” Laftagareen told officials, according to sources present at the meeting.
The South West leader also highlighted the importance of community partnership, urging local elders, youth groups, and civil society organizations to support security forces by reporting suspicious activity and resisting Al-Shabab intimidation tactics.
Security forces have been conducting intensified operations in rural zones of Bay and Bakool, where Al-Shabab maintains pockets of influence. In Lower Shabelle, joint units from the South West administration and the Somali National Army have recently targeted militant hideouts and supply routes.
Laftagareen praised the “courage and sacrifice” of troops engaged on multiple fronts, reiterating his administration’s commitment to stabilizing liberated areas and expanding essential services to communities emerging from militant control.
The meeting comes at a critical time, as Somalia enters a new phase of security responsibility following the drawdown of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Analysts say regional administrations like South West State will increasingly shoulder frontline duties in the fight against the insurgency.
