ISIS-Al Qaeda civil war erupts as terror group slaughters 35 in attack | World | News
Islamic State has claimed it killed 35 fighters linked to Al-Qaeda in western Niger, in the latest sign of intensifying clashes between rival jihadist groups battling for control of the Sahel.
The terror group’s Sahel affiliate said its fighters launched an attack on positions held by an “apostate” Al-Qaeda militia in the Téra region near the Mali border. In a statement circulated online, it claimed dozens were killed, weapons were seized and motorbikes destroyed during the assault. The statement, which has not been independently verified, read: “With the help of God Almighty, soldiers of the Caliphate attacked positions of the apostate Al-Qaeda militia in the village of Bital Koli, in the Téra area, last Thursday, using various weapons, following their assault on the village’s residents.
“This resulted in the killing of 35 members and the burning of a number of motorbikes, and the seizure of 33 rifles, 5 machine guns, and 10 motorbikes. And praise be to God.”
Niger’s authorities have been fighting ISIL affiliate Islamic State in the Sahel (EIS) and the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) in the west and southeast of the country for a decade.
Fighting between Islamic State and Al-Qaeda-linked groups has become an increasingly prominent feature of the conflict in the Sahel, one of the world’s most volatile regions.
While both organisations target government forces and civilians, they are also locked in a brutal struggle with each other for territory, influence and resources.
In recent years, Islamic terror groups have capitalised on political and military instability across the Sahel, which stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east and sits just south of the Sahara Desert, in order to grow their presence and influence.
The region has seen at least five successful military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger alone, with the wider region experiencing up to eight takeovers.
A rise in jihadist infighting in recent years has seen civilians targeted violently and often indiscriminately.
Niger, like its neighbours, has faced a surge in extremist violence in recent years, with large swathes of territory beyond effective state control.
Earlier this year, ISIS took responsibility for an attack on an air force base at the country’s main airport, which left dozens dead.
The military government, which took power in a 2023 coup, said security forces killed 20 attackers in fighting after the attack, while four government soldiers were said to be wounded.
The ISIL-affiliated Amaq News Agency reported that the group carried out a “surprise and coordinated attack” on the base at Diori Hamani International Airport near the capital, Niamey.
It claimed the attack caused “significant damage”, without providing more details.
