Clashes between rival “jihadist factions in northeast Nigeria” have resulted in approximately 200 deaths in the volatile Lake Chad area, according to intelligence, militia, and jihadist sources who spoke to AFP on Monday.
The fighting, which pits Boko Haram against rival militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group, broke out on Sunday in Dogon Chiku on the shores of Lake Chad.
The violence is the latest round of “infighting for territorial control fuelled by ideological rifts.
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Babakura Kolo, a member of an anti-jihadist militia assisting the Nigerian military, told AFP: “From the toll we got, around 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed in the fight.”
A former Boko Haram jihadist who now monitors activities in the region, identified only as Saddiku, corroborated this toll, also saying “around 200 ISWAP fighters were killed in the clashes,” with several of their weapons seized.
Saddiku added that Boko Haram “lost four fighters in the battle.”
He commented that “This could be the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other.”
A Nigerian intelligence source working in the region confirmed they were tracking the aftermath and estimated that the clashes “killed more than 150.”
The source added, “We are aware of the fighting, which is good news to us.”
ISWAP and Boko Haram have been engaged in a “deadly struggle for territorial control” since their split in 2016 over “ideological differences,” with much of the fighting focused around Lake Chad.
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