A violent confrontation has erupted between rival terrorist factions in Borno State after fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched an ambush on a Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), also known as Boko Haram, enclave in Bama Local Government Area.
Zagazola Makama, a security analyst posted on his X reported that the attack occurred around the Gargash area near Bula Murge, where ISWAP fighters reportedly overran a JAS position, killing several senior commanders during the fierce exchange.
Among those feared killed were commanders identified as Abu Ubaida, Modu Kori, Alhaji Modu, Mure, Zarkawi, Sheriff and Modu Maye, all said to be key figures within the JAS faction operating in the area.
The assault also reportedly forced surviving JAS members to abandon their camps, with intelligence indicating that the group has begun relocating women and family members to Bula Daloye following the destruction of its strongholds.
Makama noted that Bula Murge and Nguro Bafuye, two settlements previously occupied by the faction, were razed during the attack, destroying key logistics and operational bases.
Military intelligence assessed that the infighting has significantly weakened the JAS faction and created an opportunity for security forces to intensify ongoing counter-terrorism operations across southern Borno.
Troops deployed around Miyanti, Bama, Kumshe and neighbouring communities have reportedly been directed to sustain offensive operations to prevent either faction from regrouping or establishing new bases.
Security officials also urged commanders to maintain pressure on both groups to further degrade their operational capacity and deny them freedom of movement around the southern fringes of the Sambisa Forest.
The latest clash underscores the long-running rivalry between ISWAP and JAS, which split in 2016 over ideological and leadership disagreements. Since then, both factions have repeatedly fought over territorial control, recruitment, taxation routes and access to logistics across the Lake Chad Basin and the Sambisa Forest.
Security sources told Makama that the renewed infighting reflects growing pressure on terrorist groups following sustained military offensives and airstrikes that have disrupted their operations and weakened their command structures.
They added that troops remain on heightened alert across the Bama axis as operations continue to prevent both factions from regaining safe havens.
