About 55 people are said to be dead as a result of a week-long battle between Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) members.
According to the Daily Trust, the conflict started last week in one of the camps in the Mutakinti area of the state’s Bama Local Government Area. About 11 fighters supporting (JAS) Boko Haram reportedly died in the clash.
According to sources who spoke to the publication, the ISWAP militants outnumbered and surpassed the JAS, and about 11 fighters were killed in a gunfight in the general area of Mantari.
Several people also died last Saturday during an internal fight at Dollar Land in the Sambisa Forests, including fighters and women.
Additionally, there were violent conflicts in the general areas of Mantari, Mutakinti, and Bayan Dushai in the Bama LGA and Gwoza council, respectively.
Militants in Sambisa sought to avenge their commander, Malam Aboubakar (Munzir), and 15 other fighters who were killed during a brutal internal fight, according to Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in Lake Chad who also confirmed the incident.
According to reports, a major Boko Haram commander Ali Ngulde, in charge of Mandara Mountain, is currently leading hundreds of fighters equipped with weaponry from Mandara Mountain to fight the ISWAP in Sambisa Forest since December 3.
The attack started with a failed negotiation conducted by the terrorist group Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (Boko Haram), who informed its rival group, the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), of their willingness to surrender themselves (mubayi’a) to ISWAP leadership.
Unbeknownst to the ISWAP group, Ngulde and his men had set up an ambush against them in which at least 12 ISWAP members were killed in Yuwe and other members managed to flee with gunshot wounds.
Following the clashes, Boko Haram fighters burned one Hilux truck and took control of four others that were equipped with weapons and belonged to their rivals.
About 23 more fighters were killed as the Boko Haram fighters assembled more men from Abu Ikilima’s camp in Gaizuwa, Gabchari, Mantari, and Mallum Masari to fight more ISWAP strongholds in Ukuba, Arra, and Sabil Huda and Farisu.
The ISWAP group moved to Garin Abbah, which is located about 2 kilometers away, where they pinned down to wait for the Boko Haram. They later withdrew and took up positions at the camp of Izzah.
The Boko-Haram members took a detour and went to where the ISWAP wives were located, whereupon they slaughtered 33 of them, instead of going to meet the ISWAP opponents to continue the battle.
How ISWAP fighters would respond to the gruesome murder of their wives by Boko Haram members is still unknown.