ISWAP Claims Responsibility For Attacks On Troops, Others

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Nigerian security forces and neighbouring countries.

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The claims were contained in a publication released in Arabic and translated into English, a copy of which was sighted on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) on Thursday.

According to the statement, the group carried out coordinated operations involving roadside explosives, ambushes and assaults on checkpoints.

Among the claims was an attack on a military patrol in northern Nigeria.

“What actually happened was that the roadside bomb exploded directly on the patrol, causing the death of seven soldiers, including an officer with the rank of Major, wounding others, and destroying a four-wheel-drive vehicle,” the publication stated.

The group also alleged that it launched another attack on an army position near a town’s outskirts to lure troops into an ambush.

ISWAP further claimed responsibility for attacks on police personnel and local militias, alleging that dozens were killed in operations across Nigeria and the neighbouring Niger Republic.

It also reported an attack on a checkpoint at the entrance of Rifa city in the Niger Republic.

“Five were killed and wounded, while a four-wheel-drive vehicle was burned and eight machine guns were seized before the fighters returned safely,”

the group claimed.

The publication stated that 11 attacks were carried out within one week, resulting in 42 vehicles being burned or disabled.

Beyond West Africa, the material also included claims of attacks in Syria, including an alleged assault on a government vehicle near Raqqa.

The group accused Nigerian troops of carrying out retaliatory actions against civilian communities near Monguno.

It described the alleged actions as “desperate and uncivilised steps by the army to cover up its repeated failures and heavy losses.”

Security analysts who spoke with Punch have cautioned that such claims should be treated carefully, noting that insurgent groups often exaggerate their operations.

A security source said, “These claims should always be treated with caution because terrorists rely heavily on misinformation and psychological warfare.”