Confusion in ISWAP Camp After Senior Commander Killed by Own IED in Borno

Confusion has reportedly erupted within a factional camp of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the death of a senior commander allegedly killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by his own group.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident, which occurred on February 24, triggered internal discord and heightened tensions among insurgents operating in parts of the Lake Chad Basin.

According to the sources, a fighter identified as a Unit Intelligence Member (UIM) confronted a senior commander, Amir Musa, seeking clarification over the circumstances surrounding the deaths of two members of the group.

The UIM reportedly demanded explanations over the killing of one Abu Nazir, said to have been eliminated by fellow ISWAP elements, as well as the death of another senior commander, Abu Kasim.

Abu Kasim was said to have died after an IED planted by his faction detonated along a route where he was operating. The explosion reportedly occurred during clashes between ISWAP and rival Boko Haram elements.

Further accounts indicated that Abu Nazir’s death followed an encounter with fighters from Boko Haram, formally known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), who were believed to have been responsible for the earlier killing of Abu Kasim. The sequence of events is said to have compounded suspicion and tension within the camp.

Sources suggested the development points to possible cases of friendly fire, operational lapses and a breakdown in coordination among the insurgents.

The incident also reflects persistent hostilities between ISWAP and JAS, despite both groups tracing their origins to the same insurgent movement in northeastern Nigeria.

Security analysts say such internal rifts may further weaken the operational cohesion of the factions, even as Nigerian security forces continue to mount pressure on terrorist enclaves across the region.