Fighters from the IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
| ...the original Boko Haram, now led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the other factions being the ISIS-rejected Abubakar Shekau’s faction and the al-Qaeda-loyal Ansaru faction... |
The Boko Haram faction has in recent months intensified attacks on military targets in Borno and Yobe states, raiding bases and killing dozens of troops.
“They first dislodged soldiers at a checkpoint in Kimba in Biu... and then took over another post at Sabon Gari, five kilometres (three miles) away,” said one military officer of the latest attacks.
The jihadists launched another attack on a base in nearby Wajirko, according to a militiaman in the area.
On Monday, the jihadists had overwhelmed troops in Buni Gari village in neighbouring Yobe state, leading to “some losses”, an army officer said.
“Troops were outgunned and forced to retreat after heavy fighting with the terrorists,” the military source said.
ISWAP gunmen apparently attacked the village in reprisals over the killing of fellow jihadists in the village last month. Residents alerted soldiers in a nearby military base as they arrived in trucks.