At least 17 people, including a soldier and a humanitarian worker, have been killed in new attacks attributed to the organization. Islamic state in West Africa (ISWAP) in northeastern Nigeria, security and militia sources said today.
Hundreds of Iswap fighters stormed the city of Ran on Monday, on the border with Cameroon, ousting Nigerian soldiers from their base and occupying the city for hours.
The attack caused a mass exodus of residents to Cameroon, before the army managed to regain control of the city with air support.
Iswap, which emerged from the split of the jihadist group Boko Haram in 2016, consolidated its control of the area after the death in May of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Sekau during clashes between two rival organizations.
The heavily armed fighters “entered at around 3.30 in the morning on foot like a swarm of locusts and defeated the soldiers who were forced to leave their base,” said an anti-jihadist militia leader in the city.
“The guerrillas killed 11 people in this attack,” added the same source, who asked not to be named.
The jihadists stole weapons before setting fire to buildings and vehicles, added the militia chief, whose statements were confirmed by another militiaman in the city.
A UN security source said a soldier and a local foreign aid volunteer were among the victims.
The Nigerian army confirmed the attack, saying its forces had returned to their base and restored order after being driven out.
Earlier on Monday, jihadists attacked the neighboring city of Aziri, killing six people, according to two sources in the militia.
The city of Ran, home to 35,000 displaced people who fled the jihadist insurgency, has been repeatedly targeted by ISWAP and Boko Haram. In May, ISWAP attacked the city, killing 35 people, including five soldiers and 15 militants.
The uprising, which has been raging for 12 years in neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced two million.
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