Scores of terrorists have reportedly been killed after renewed fighting between rival insurgent groups, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), also known as Boko Haram, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in parts of the Lake Chad Islands.
The fighting took place around Mangari and Tumbun Allura, where fighters from both groups fought for control of strategic locations and logistics routes in the Lake Chad basin, said Zagazola Makama, a security source.
Initially, intelligence suggested that JAS had fared well in the opening phase of the battle, killing dozens of ISWAP fighters and taking two boats before retreating to its stronghold in Kurnawa.
At the time of filing this report, the casualty figures could not be independently verified.
The latest clash is believed to be part of a long-running feud between the two terrorist groups over territory, recruitment networks, supply routes and influence across the Lake Chad Islands.
Both groups had repeatedly attacked each other as they competed to dominate areas they considered important to their operations, security sources said.
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The capture of the two boats was significant as watercraft are often used to ferry fighters, weapons, food and other supplies in the difficult terrain of the Lake Chad waterways, it said.
Military formations around the lake were reportedly put on heightened alert amid fears that fleeing ISWAP fighters could spread into nearby communities and operational areas.
Troops stationed in Mallam Fatori, Baga, Cross Kauwa, Kukawa and other places around the lake were said to be watching the moves of surviving fighters closely.
Security assessments cautioned that the terrorists may try isolated attacks, IED ambushes or other strikes as they sought to evade pressure and rebuild their operational capacity.
Sources also said the rising rivalry could lead to more defections and surrenders by fighters disillusioned by the ongoing fighting between the factions.
The development could weaken the groups temporarily by cutting their manpower, limiting their access to supplies and disrupting their command structures.
But security officials warned that the clashes could also have unpredictable consequences, including reprisal attacks and changes in the terrorists’ movement patterns.
Military authorities were said to be weighing stepped-up operations to exploit what security officials described as a temporary weakening of ISWAP.
The proposed measures include stepped up offensive patrols, precision fire operations and increased intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities throughout the Lake Chad Islands.
The operations are expected to help track fleeing fighters, stop them from regrouping and cut down on threats to civilian communities and military positions.
Internal divisions could weaken both sides, but security sources warned they could also open up new attacks on communities around the lake as surviving fighters look for new hideouts, supplies and targets.