Renewed infighting between rival terrorist factions, Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has reportedly resulted in the deaths of scores of fighters following violent clashes across the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
According to security sources, the clashes erupted after a series of coordinated raids and retaliatory attacks carried out by both groups against each other’s camps. The fighting reportedly involved the use of heavy weapons, leading to prolonged gun battles in remote and hard-to-access areas long known as insurgent strongholds.
The renewed violence is believed to be driven by deep internal divisions within the extremist groups, including disputes over ideology, leadership, and control of territory and resources. ISWAP, which claims allegiance to the Islamic State’s central command, has long been at odds with Boko Haram factions that follow a more extreme and uncompromising ideology. These rivalries have persisted even after the death of Boko Haram’s former leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Security analysts say the clashes have temporarily weakened both factions, with significant casualties reported on both sides. However, experts caution that such infighting does not necessarily mean an end to the insurgency. Instead, surviving fighters may regroup, defect to other factions, or attempt to carry out fresh attacks to reassert dominance.
The development has important security implications for northeastern Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region. While internal conflicts reduce the immediate operational capacity of terrorist groups, fragmentation can also make them more unpredictable, increasing the risk of attacks on civilian communities, military formations, or humanitarian operations.
The Mandara Mountains and Sambisa Forest remain strategically important due to their difficult terrain, which offers cover and mobility for armed groups. Nigerian security forces are said to be monitoring the situation closely as counterterrorism operations continue across the region.
Analysts stress that sustained military pressure, intelligence gathering, and regional cooperation remain critical to preventing insurgent factions from exploiting internal conflicts to launch renewed violence against civilians.
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