Clashes between Boko Haram, ISWAP kill around 200 fighters in Northeast Nigeria

Deadly fighting between rival jihadist groups in northeast Nigeria has reportedly claimed the lives of approximately 200 militants, according to security and local sources on Monday.

The violent clashes erupted on Sunday between Boko Haram and fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Dogon Chiku, a strategic area along the shores of Lake Chad.

According to intelligence sources, the battle is the latest episode in a brutal internal war for dominance, driven by deep ideological differences and competition for control of territory and resources in the region.

“From the toll we got, around 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed in the fight,” Babakura Kolo, a member of an anti-jihadist militia assisting the Nigerian military, told AFP.

A former Boko Haram jihadist, who has since renounced violence but follows jihadist activities in the region, also said “around 200 ISWAP fighters were killed in the clashes”, with several of their weapons seized.

Boko Haram lost four fighters in the battle, according to the former militant, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Saddiku.

“This could be the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other,” said Saddiku, who lives in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.

A Nigerian intelligence source working in the region said they were following the aftermath of the clashes, estimating that they “killed more than 150”.

“We are aware of the fighting which is good news to us,” the intelligence source said.

ISWAP and Boko Haram have been locked in a deadly struggle for territorial control since their split in 2016 over ideological differences, with much of the fighting taking place around Lake Chad.