Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters launched a retaliatory waterborne ambush on a fleet of Boko Haram boats navigating Lake Chad. The attack occurred in the lake's Nigerian waters, which border Borno State. The Boko Haram boats were returning from an operation where they had abducted local fishermen and women from Fulani communities in the Doron Baga area. The ISWAP attackers ambushed the convoy at an islet called Kaduna Ruwa, using heavy weapons to destroy numerous boats and inflict heavy casualties. The fighting continued into the next day, with ISWAP hunting down survivors and capturing several Boko Haram fighters
5 Nov 2023 · Tumbum Ali Island, Marte, Borno
Deaths
70
Kidnapped
8
Total casualties
70
Perpetrators
ISWAP
Response
There is no recorded military or government response to this specific incident, which was an internal fight between two rival militant groups.
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
This was a direct act of retaliation for the "massive killing of ISWAP fighters by the Buduma faction on Boko Haram". The groups are locked in a violent struggle for control of the Lake Chad region. The lake's islands are a prime hideout and a source of wealth through fishing, smuggling, and taxing local communities. ISWAP is trying to assert its dominance over the Boko Haram holdouts who retreated to the lake after their leader was killed.
Trajectory
This incident highlights the intense and often overlooked water war on Lake Chad. The use of speedboats and heavy weaponry in a maritime environment marks a significant evolution from the group's traditional land-based guerrilla warfare.
Cycle notes
This attack is a direct and bloody echo of the schism that occurred in 2016, when ISWAP split from Boko Haram. These clashes have only intensified since the death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in 2021, as his successor fled to the islands, sparking a new phase of the conflict. This is a recurring cycle of vengeance and territorial consolidation that has defined the conflict in the Lake Chad basin for years.
Pattern
Intra-insurgent conflict
Related — Ambush
ISWAP fighters opened fire with heavy guns and rocket-propelled grenades on a military convoy of more than 100 vehicles near Gada Blu, killing approximately 15 soldiers.
ISWAP fighters ambushed a Nigerian military patrol in Mogula village. The militants opened fire, killing four soldiers and seizing two machine guns. The insurgents also attempted to take two military pickups but were forced to abandon them due to the poor condition of the road; however, they dismantled and went away with the anti-aircraft guns mounted on the vehicles
Boko Haram insurgents ambushed a convoy of military vehicles escorting motorists along the Gwoza-Limankara-Uvaha road in Gwoza LGA, Borno State. The troops and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were providing security cover for civilian travelers. The attackers emerged from their hiding positions, opened fire, and set at least five commercial vehicles and a CJTF patrol vehicle ablaze. The ambush resulted in the death of one soldier and three CJTF members. An unspecified number of other passengers were abducted or reported missing in action.