Turf war kills around 200 in Nigeria: sources

KANO, Nigeria: Clashes between rival militant factions in northeast Nigeria have claimed some 200 lives in the restive Lake Chad area, intelligence, militia and militant sources told AFP Monday.

Fighting between Boko Haram and rival militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group broke out in Dogon Chiku on the shores of Lake Chad on Sunday, in the latest bout of infighting for territorial control fuelled by ideological rifts.

“From the toll we got, around 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed in the fight,” Babakura Kolo, a member of a militia assisting the Nigerian military, told AFP.

A former Boko Haram militant, who has since renounced violence but follows militant activities in the region, also said “around 200 ISWAP fighters were killed in the clashes”, with several of their weapons seized.

Boko Haram lost four fighters in the battle, according to the former militant, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Saddiku.

“This could be the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other,” said Saddiku, who lives in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.

A Nigerian intelligence source working in the region said they were following the aftermath of the clashes, estimating that they “killed more than 150”.

“We are aware of the fighting which is good news to us,” the intelligence source said.

ISWAP and Boko Haram have been locked in a deadly struggle for territorial control since their split in 2016 over ideological differences, with much of the fighting taking place around Lake Chad.