The Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād has killed at least four policemen in Gajiram, Borno State, after a midnight attack on a police station.
Gajiram is located about 73 kilometers to the restive capital of the North Eastern State of Borno.
Military sources confirmed the attack to SaharaReporters on Saturday afternoon as well as a security analyst in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 1am on Saturday, according to Makama.
According to him, the terrorists disguised themselves and sneaked into the town Friday midnight and went straight to the police quarters.
They subsequently opened fire on some policemen, killing four of them.
“Sources said Mobile Policemen at the Police quarters engaged the terrorists in heavy gun battle which prevented them from burning down the quarters,” he posted.
“It was learnt that when the troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Gajiram stormed the scene, they (the terrorists) had fled.”
Since the death of JAS leader, Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in locations around Lake Chad.
The sect’s membership has swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau.
The Nigerian Army has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency has been largely defeated.
Meanwhile, the terrorists have caused the death of thousands of people and displacement of millions of others mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.