ISWAP ambush kills four Nigerian security personnel in Borno

Jihadists linked to the Islamic State group ambushed Nigerian security forces in northeastern Borno State on Friday, killing two soldiers and two members of an anti-jihadist militia, local sources confirmed Saturday.

The attack occurred in Damboa district when fighters from the Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP) opened fire with heavy weapons on a motorcycle convoy carrying Nigerian troops, local hunters, and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members, according to a military source and a security report.

“We lost two soldiers and two members of the Civilian CJTF in the ambush by ISWAP terrorists,” said a military officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He added that the militants targeted the patrol convoy led by a brigade commander, triggering an exchange of gunfire.

A United Nations situation report, shared among aid agencies and seen by AFP, confirmed the killings and stated that the jihadists seized 17 motorcycles. While several soldiers were initially reported missing, the brigade commander later returned safely to the base in Damboa, about 90 kilometres from Maiduguri, the regional capital.

The incident highlights ISWAP’s continued threat in the northeast, despite internal clashes with Boko Haram over control of areas around Lake Chad. ISWAP split from Boko Haram in 2016 and has since grown to dominate several regions, although Boko Haram recently killed around 200 ISWAP fighters in a Lake Chad ambush.

The ongoing jihadist violence in northeastern Nigeria has claimed over 40,000 lives and displaced nearly two million people since 2019. The conflict has also spread into neighbouring Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, prompting a regional military coalition to combat the insurgents.

Amid military assurances of improved security, Nigerians have called on President Bola Tinubu to intensify operations against terrorist enclaves. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, noted on Friday that the Federal Government is engaging the United States diplomatically to address recent security concerns, with progress reportedly being made.