Sahel: Islamic State and al-Qaeda clash in unprecedented battle

Clashes between al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM and the Islamic State in the Sahel (ISSP) have intensified since early September in the tri-border area of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Islamic State claims it killed more than 400 JNIM fighters in a battle on October 9 in Burkina Faso’s Oudalan province, but the toll has not been independently verified. Heni Nsaibia of ACLED says the groups have fought more than 320 times since 2019, causing about 2,200 deaths. Their rivalry centers on control of territory, strategic routes and local populations, while violence is spreading toward western Niger and northwestern Nigeria.