15th February, 2025
A devastating clash between rival terrorist factions has left dozens dead in Borno State, as fighters loyal to Boko Haram’s Bakoura-led Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) unleashed a violent onslaught on Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) camps in Abadam Local Government Area (LGA).
Sources told Zagazola Makama, a counter insurgency expert that the deadly assault began in the early hours of February 14, targeting ISWAP strongholds at Toumbun Gini and Toumbun Ali.
JAS militants, armed to the teeth and moving in multiple waterborne vessels, stormed ISWAP bases in an intense firefight that raged for hours.
By nightfall, the battlefield was littered with casualties. Reports indicate that at least 31 ISWAP fighters were killed, including several high-ranking commanders, some of whom were allegedly responsible for the massacre of farmers in Kukawa earlier in January.
JAS forces overran ISWAP’s defensive positions, looting weapons and equipment before retreating.
But the carnage isn’t over yet. Intelligence sources suggest that Boko Haram forces from Bokorram Island are now regrouping for another wave of attacks, aiming to crush ISWAP concentrations in Gemu and Mallam Karamti.
With tensions at a boiling point, security experts warn that more violent clashes are imminent, particularly in Kukawa LGA, as the deadly rivalry between the factions escalates.
