Fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have begun a major mobilisation toward Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, signaling a potential large-scale confrontation with a rival Boko Haram faction in the Lake Chad region.
According to security sources cited by counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, on Tuesday, the militants were advancing from multiple fronts, particularly from the Tumbumma axis, a known stronghold of ISWAP in the Lake Chad basin.
Intelligence reports suggest that the movement may be part of a coordinated plan to launch attacks against rival Boko Haram elements loyal to Abou Musab Al-Barnawi and Bakoura Doro, also known as Abou Ummaymah.
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The latest mobilisation follows a series of internal clashes between ISWAP and Boko Haram in recent weeks, during which ISWAP reportedly suffered losses in ambushes staged by the Al-Barnawi-led faction.
The resurgence of infighting between the two jihadist groups has raised concerns about renewed instability in the region, which has been a flashpoint of insurgent activities for over a decade.
