Over 200 Reported Dead in Rival Jihadist Groups Clash in Northeast Nigeria
Fresh fighting between rival jihadist groups, BokoHaram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has reportedly left around 200 fighters dead in Nigeria’s northeast, particularly around the Lake Chad region.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the clashes occurred near Dogon Chiku when ISWAP launched a large-scale attack on Boko Haram positions.
Local Intelligence sources and militia members told AFP that the heavy gunfire and ambushes lasted for hours, resulting in massive casualties on both sides.
This incident marks one of the deadliest intra-jihadist confrontations in recent years and highlights the growing fragmentation within extremist movements operating across the Lake Chad Basin, an area already struggling with humanitarian crises, displacement, and insecurity.
While internal rivalries might weaken their collective operational strength, these clashes often trigger reprisal attacks against nearby communities, further worsening the region’s fragile security situation.
Security experts say Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy must adapt quickly, focusing on real-time intelligence sharing, regional collaboration, and community-level protection, especially in border zones of Borno, Yobe, and along Lake Chad’s islands.
