Fresh intelligence has revealed a renewed outbreak of violent clashes between rival terrorist factions, Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), in parts of the Lake Chad Islands, pointing to the persistent internal conflict that continues to shape the insurgency in Nigeria’s North-East.

According to intelligence sources, the fighting occurred around Mangari and Tumbun Allura, where the two factions engaged in a fierce confrontation over control of strategic locations within the Lake Chad basin.

Preliminary reports indicate that JAS fighters gained the upper hand during the initial stages of the battle, reportedly killing dozens of ISWAP fighters and seizing two boats belonging to the rival group before withdrawing to their stronghold at Kurnawa.

Security sources said the clashes form part of the longstanding rivalry between the two extremist groups, both of which have repeatedly engaged each other in violent confrontations over territorial control, access to logistics routes, recruitment networks and influence across the Lake Chad Islands.

The reported seizure of the boats is considered significant, as watercraft remain a critical means of transportation for fighters, weapons, food supplies and other logistics across the difficult terrain of the Lake Chad waterways.

Zagazola sources warned that the confrontation could trigger wider security implications for communities and military formations operating around the Lake Chad axis.

Troops deployed in Mallam Fatori, Baga, Cross Kauwa, Kukawa and other locations surrounding the lake have been placed on heightened alert amid concerns that fleeing ISWAP fighters could disperse into surrounding areas.

Security assessments also suggest there is an increased likelihood of terrorists attempting nuisance attacks, improvised explosive device (IED) ambushes, or isolated assaults as surviving fighters seek to evade pressure or re-establish operational momentum.

There are also expectations that the infighting may encourage additional defections and surrenders by fighters disillusioned with the ongoing conflict between the rival factions.

Military authorities are understood to be considering intensified offensive operations to exploit what is viewed as a temporary weakening of ISWAP’s posture. Plans include increased offensive patrols, precision fire missions and enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activities across the Lake Chad Islands to track the movement of fleeing fighters and prevent their regrouping.

While such internal clashes may temporarily weaken one or both groups, they also carry the risk of creating unpredictable security challenges, including retaliatory attacks, shifts in terrorist movement patterns and renewed threats to civilian populations and military positions across the region. (Zagazola)

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