24 terrorists killed in Nigeria as Boko Haram, Iswap fight

Abuja

Nigeria’s Boko Haram fighters have killed 24 members of Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) as rivalry between the two terrorist organisations continues in the country’s north east, the epicentre of insurgency.

The Iswap fighters were killed in an attack carried out by Boko Haram members on Saturday in Mandra and Gaba mountains in the Gwoza axis, Borno state.

The Boko Haram terrorists, under the command of Aliyu Ngulde, attacked the Iswap fighters who are led by Abou Aseeya.

During the clash by the rival groups, several Iswap members were also captured.

The reprisal attack was caused by an earlier onslaught earlier launched Iswap at Boko Haram members in recent weeks and the killing of Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, in June.

Planned attack thwarted

Meanwhile, Nigerian military troops have thwarted a planned attack by Iswap terrorists on a camp in Damboa local government area, also in Borno state, which holding former Boko Haram members who have denounced the terrorist group.

The troops repelled the insurgents who stormed the town in a convoy of gun trucks on Saturday evening.

“The camp is where hundreds of repentant Boko Haram members have been staying since they renounced terrorism,” the military said.

“Though the terrorists were repelled, and their mission thwarted after a brutal gunfire, I cannot give the actual number of casualties they could have suffered,” Col. Muhammad Dole, Chief of Military Public Information for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) said.

The military praised the conduct, discipline and display of determination by the troops in fighting Boko Haram and Iswap terrorists.

The military urged the troops to remain on high alert and cautious so that they can swiftly end “the madness of the terrorists”.