ISWAP commanders clash; several fighters feared dead

Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the Timbuktu Triangle reportedly died after rival commanders turned their weapons on each other over a disagreement about a planned attack.

Counter‑terrorism expert Zagazola Makama shared the details in a post on X.

The clash followed a heated dispute between senior field commanders about the conduct of an operation that had been scheduled for the previous night.

Makama said one of the commanders, identified only as Abu Ali, allegedly refused to allow fighters under his control to take part in the planned attack.

Ali’s decision reportedly angered another senior commander, who accused him of deliberately thwarting the operation and questioned his loyalty to the group.

According to Makama, the dispute was not an isolated disagreement but the culmination of weeks of rising tension among commanders over operational decisions, dwindling resources and the management of logistics within the enclave.

The refusal to approve the planned attack merely exposed deeper grievances that had been building within the organization, with rival commanders increasingly competing for influence, manpower and control of supplies.

The Timbuktu Triangle has long been one of ISWAP’s principal operational bases, serving as a sanctuary for commanders, training camps and logistics hubs from which attacks are coordinated across parts of the Lake Chad Basin.