The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terror group, has killed over 200 Boko Haram terrorists and their families in deadly rivalry clash in the northeast of Gudumbali, Borno State.
The February 26 and 27, 2023 Choliye terror groups’ clashes, also led to the killings of many Boko Haram women and children.
A counter-insurgency expert, in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed, yesterday (Saturday), in Maiduguri that the terrorists and their families were killed, while fleeing ISWAP attacks in the Gudumbali-Kukawa axis of the State.
He said that ISWAP targeted Boko Haram enclaves in Gaizuwa Community comprising Mantari, Gabchari, Kashimiri and Maimusari villages in Bama Local Government Area.
A military source, in Maiduguri, also disclosed that the sustained attacks had led to the dislodgement of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters.
Besides, the military source stated that; “The terrorists scampered to safety and fled towards the Mandara Mountains in the Gwoza Local Council to seek for refuge in the caves of mountains.”
Makama, added that other terrorists fled towards Konduga, Mafa and Dikwa local councils, including Gajiram town and the shores of Lake Chad.
According to him, some of the Boko Haram commanders that fled ISWAP superior fighting capacity include Abbah Tukur, the Khaid of Mantari and Maimusari, Abu Isa, the Khaid of Ngauri, Ali Hajja Fusami, the newly appointed Khaid of Garin Abu Ikliima and Abu Ali among
“ISWAP terrorists immediately mobilized more fighters to go after the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists,” he said, adding that they were later intercepted at Choliye village and ISWAP fighters fired at 200 terrorists without sparing their families including women and children.
Besides, he added that the onslaught against Boko Haram continued in the Asinari-Ashanari-Masarmari of Konduga, where scores of the fighters were killed in the attacks.
He said that the multiple attacks were coordinated by Ba’ana Chingori of ISWAP on March 1, 2023.
Continued; “In Yale, a village in Konduga Local Councl, Modu Bashir Okocha, an ISWAP Commander, led another team of fighters to attack another Boko Haram position.
He said that this led to the killing of 15 Boko Haram terrorists with seizures of weapons and motorcycles.
“The onslaughts had forced hundreds of the Boko Haram terrorists and their families to surrender to the troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in Mafa, Konduga councils, and other parts of the theatre of war,” said Makama.
He noted that some of them managed to flee through Mafa town to Dikwa Abadam Local Councils, as well as Niger Republic on the shores of Lake Chad.
On other hideouts of terrorists, he said: “Some of the fighters escaped to the camp of Bakura Wulgo, aka Abou Oumaymah, in the Marte-Krenowa axis.
“While others fled to the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza to seek refuge and protection from Ali Ngulde.
“The ongoing rivalry clashes between Boko Haram and ISWAP seems unending as several efforts by the groups to merge forces against the Nigerian military and Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) appears impossible.”
He said that the two terror groups have failed to scale up the manpower and equipment needed to sustain their nefarious activities.
Instead, the two rival terror groups continued to attack each other, inflicting heavy casualties among themselves.
He said on December 6, 2022, Boko Haram carried out one of the most devastating attacks, killing 33 wives of ISWAP militants in Sambisa Forest.
While on December 31, 2022 a faction of Boko Haram attacked an armory base of the ISWAP at Toumbum, Allura Kurnawa and Kangar on the shores of Lake Chad.
According to him, Bakoura led the attack, resulting in the killing of several ISWAP terrorists and the seizure of a large number of weapons.
He said this led the ISWAP leadership, Imam Abu Mosab Albarnawi to flee from Nigeria to Somalia, Mali, and Burkina Faso to seek the support of other terrorist partners.
His words: “The fleeing of Albarnawi from Nigeria was to save their self-acclaimed Caliphate from collapsing,” he said.
“The task ahead of the newly elected president will focus on a full-time military offensive in the Lake Chad region, including parts of the Niger and Cameroon.
