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Clashes betwixt rival jihadist factions successful northeast Nigeria person claimed immoderate 200 lives successful the restive Lake Chad area, intelligence, militia and jihadist sources told AFP onMonday (November 10, 2025).
Fighting betwixt Boko Haram and rival militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) radical broke retired successful Dogon Chiku connected the shores of Lake Chad connected Sunday (November 9, 2025), successful the latest bout of infighting for territorial power fuelled by ideological rifts.
"From the toll we got, astir 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed successful the fight," Babakura Kolo, a subordinate of an anti-jihadist militia assisting the Nigerian military, told AFP.
A erstwhile Boko Haram jihadist, who has since renounced unit but follows jihadist activities successful the region, besides said "around 200 ISWAP fighters were killed successful the clashes", with respective of their weapons seized.
Boko Haram mislaid 4 fighters successful the battle, according to the erstwhile militant, who asked to beryllium identified lone by his archetypal name, Saddiku.
"This could beryllium the worst clash betwixt the 2 groups since they began attacking each other," said Mr. Saddiku, who lives successful Maiduguri, the superior of Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.
Short video clips seen by AFP appear to amusement respective dormant bodies successful canoes, with immoderate of the vessels flooded with bloody water.
A Nigerian quality root moving successful the portion said they were pursuing the aftermath of the clashes, estimating that they "killed much than 150".
"We are alert of the warring which is bully quality to us," the quality root said.
ISWAP and Boko Haram person been locked successful a deadly conflict for territorial power since their divided successful 2016 implicit ideological differences, with overmuch of the warring taking spot astir Lake Chad.
The freshwater lake, which straddles Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad, serves arsenic a sanctuary for some Boko Haram and ISWAP, from which some motorboat attacks crossed the 4 countries.
2016 splinter
ISWAP, which claims allegiance to the Islamic State group, has risen to prominence since splintering disconnected from Boko Haram successful 2016.
Both factions person fought for dominance since, starring to the decease of Boko Haram person Abubakar Shekau during clashes successful his Sambisa wood hideout successful May 2021.
Some Boko Haram fighters joined ISWAP to debar execution, others surrendered to Nigerian troops portion the remainder fled to islands connected the Niger broadside of Lake Chad nether the power of Shekau's successor, Bakura Buduma.
In 1 of the largest flare-ups, a September 2021 raid by Boko Haram connected the ISWAP-controlled Kirta-Wulgo land led to weeks of back-and-forth warring betwixt the 2 militias.
Boko Haram has since succeeded successful pushing ISWAP retired of astir of Lake Chad, which the 2 groups covet arsenic a refuge from subject attacks and a immense root of gross from fishing, farming, herding and logging.
Nigeria's jihadist struggle has killed much than 40,000 radical and displaced astir 2 cardinal successful the predominantly Muslim northeast since it erupted successful 2009.
The unit has spilt into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting the instauration of a determination subject unit to combat the jihadists.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened subject involution successful Nigeria, Africa's astir populous nation, implicit what helium calls the "killing of Christians" by extremist Islamists.
