A violent conflict has erupted between two rival terrorist groups, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (JAS), in the Southern Lake Chad Basin region of Borno State.Â
The fierce battle, which began on September 15, 2024, marks an escalating power struggle between the factions as they vie for control over territory and resources in the volatile area.
The initial clash occurred when ISWAP militants launched a surprise midnight attack on JAS elements in the Gurnuwa and Laraba Mairari areas.
The assault was intended to catch the JAS militants off guard, as many of them were asleep. However, the attack backfired when JAS forces quickly regrouped and mounted a powerful counteroffensive.
 In the ensuing battle, JAS fighters inflicted heavy casualties on the ISWAP militants, killing dozens and forcing the survivors to flee in disarray.
In their hasty retreat, the ISWAP fighters abandoned several weapons, including PKT machine guns, GPMGs (general-purpose machine guns), and AK-47 rifles.
They also left behind personal belongings such as shoes and other gear, underscoring the chaos that accompanied their defeat.
However, the conflict did not end there. The violence escalated the following day, on September 16, when JAS militants launched a retaliatory ambush on ISWAP forces near Lingir, along the Monguno-Kukawa axis.
The ISWAP militants had been moving rustled cattle from the Southern Lake Chad Basin, intending to transport them to the Timbuktu Farouk Triangle in Damboa.
Unaware of the ambush, they were caught off guard by JAS fighters, who once again inflicted heavy losses.
Many ISWAP members were killed in the attack, and those who survived fled, leaving behind both their stolen cattle and a cache of weapons, which were seized by JAS forces.
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency analyst specializing in the Lake Chad region, commented on the situation, noting that the ISWAP fighters appeared to be ill-prepared for the ambush.
Despite their superior weaponry and the element of surprise during their initial attack, the ISWAP militants have struggled to maintain control of the situation, suffering multiple defeats at the hands of JAS forces.
In response to these setbacks, ISWAP, under the leadership of a commander known as Usman Russia, vowed swift retaliation.
The group quickly mobilized reinforcements, including fighters on motorcycles and a Land Cruiser jeep, and dispatched them from Andakar towards Gurnuwa. Later that evening, at approximately 10:00 PM, ISWAP forces carried out a sporadic attack along the Marte-Monguno road, near Maiduguri.
While no casualties were reported during this attack, it is believed to have been a probing assault designed to test military defenses in the area.
The sporadic attack has raised concerns that ISWAP may be planning a larger offensive aimed at reclaiming the weapons and cattle lost during the previous engagements.
Military and security forces in the region remain on high alert, particularly around the Monguno and Kerenoa-Marte axis, as they anticipate further hostilities in the coming days.
Both ISWAP and JAS are now fortifying their positions as they prepare for the possibility of larger confrontations.
The JAS faction, aware of ISWAP’s intentions to launch revenge attacks, has reportedly fortified its positions at Dabar Masara and Dabar Gajere, along the Kukawa-Monguno boundary.
 Intelligence sources have indicated that the two groups are stationed only two kilometers apart, making the likelihood of a large-scale battle in the near future extremely high.
As both sides prepare for further clashes, the potential for heavy casualties looms large. The ongoing conflict threatens to further destabilize the already fragile region, with each battle increasing the strain on local communities and security forces.
The fight for dominance between ISWAP and JAS continues to rage, with neither group showing any sign of backing down, raising fears of prolonged violence in the Southern Lake Chad Basin.
