Trending 
Terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State group ambushed Nigerian security personnel in northeastern Borno state, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and two members of a vigilante group, sources reported on Saturday.
Fighters from Islamic State-West Africa Province (ISWAP) opened fire on Friday using heavy weaponry against a motorcycle convoy of Nigerian troops, anti-insurgent militia, and local hunters patrolling in the Damboa district, according to a military source and a security report.
This incident marks the latest in a series of assaults targeting Nigerian security forces by ISWAP, which has ramped up attacks on military installations with rocket-propelled grenades and suicide drones in recent times.
“We lost two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the ambush carried out by ISWAP terrorists,” a military officer disclosed to AFP.
“The terrorists set an ambush for the patrol convoy of motorcycles led by the brigade commander, which led to an exchange of gunfire,” said the officer, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the situation.
A situation report from the United Nations, shared among aid organisations in the area and reviewed by AFP, verified that two soldiers and two members of the anti-insurgent militia were killed in the ambush, and the insurgents took 17 motorcycles.
The report indicated that several soldiers, including the military commander, were unaccounted for, though the commander eventually returned to the base in the town of Damboa, located 90 kilometres (55 miles) from the regional capital, Maiduguri.
This assault emphasises the threat posed by ISWAP in the region, even as it is embroiled in internal conflicts with the rival jihadist group Boko Haram for dominance over territories around Lake Chad.
ISWAP broke away from Boko Haram in 2016 due to differing ideologies and has since emerged as the more dominant force in the area. The group has faced pressure from Boko Haram, which has successfully pushed ISWAP out of most of the islands in Lake Chad that were under its control.
On Sunday, Boko Haram reportedly killed approximately 200 ISWAP fighters during an ambush on the lake’s shores, according to intelligence and anti-insurgent militia sources.
The violence associated with insurgents has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths and displaced around two million people in the northeast since the conflict began in 2019.
The turmoil has also affected neighbouring nations, including Niger, Cameroon, and Chad, prompting the region to establish a military coalition to combat the insurgent factions.
