Islamic State West Africa Province

Also known as: Iswap

Islamic State West Africa Province — jihadist group conducting attacks in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, with operations including military base assaults and civilian raids.

2026-04-282026-10-05

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

May 2026
13 MayThe Standard
… Subscribe to our newsletter"Their military operations, including against Boko Haram and the so-called 'Islamic State West Africa Province' must be conducted in full compliance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law," he said."Civilians and civilian …
UN urges independent probes into deadly Nigeria, Chad airstrikes
8 MayThe Standard
… Boko Haram and its rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) splinter group have increasingly targeted loggers, farmers, fishermen, herders and metal scrap collectors in the region, accusing them of spying on them and passing information to the military.According to the so …
18 Nigerian loggers killed in jihadist attack
6 MayCitizen Digital
… Lake Chad's islands and marshes also serve as a haven for Boko Haram's rival splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Boko Haram attack on Chad army base kills at least 24
April 2026
28 AprCapital News
… Earlier this month, almost 400 people were sentenced during mass trials for their links with militant Islamist groups Boko Haram and its rival splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap). …
IS claims responsibility for Nigeria attack that killed 29 people

World & Region

ISWAP jihadists besiege northeastern Nigerian town for third day

The News

Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province attacked a military base on the outskirts of Geidam, Yobe State, early Wednesday, leading to an hours-long firefight and a subsequent siege of the town. Troops have imposed a round-the-clock curfew keeping residents of the town of about 89,000 indoors, with military sources citing the jihadist presence surrounding the town as justification for the measure.

28 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Friday 28 August

ISWAP jihadists besiege northeastern Nigerian town for third day
Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province attacked a military base on the outskirts of Geidam, Yobe State, early Wednesday, leading to an hours-long firefight and a subsequent siege of the town. Troops have imposed a round-the-clock curfew keeping residents of the town of about 89,000 indoors, with military sources citing the jihadist presence surrounding the town as justification for the measure.
28 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 22 August

Jihadist groups kill, kidnap civilians in Niger state attack
Jihadists killed and kidnapped scores of people during Friday prayers in central Nigeria's Niger state, according to survivors and lawmakers. The attack occurred near the western border with Benin, an area experiencing increased activity by local armed groups and militants from the Sahel.
22 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 11 July

Jihadist insurgency hampers Nigeria cholera outbreak response
A cholera outbreak in jihadist-controlled northeast Nigeria has killed dozens as insecurity and lack of health infrastructure hinder the response, with communities in the Lake Chad region hit by a wave of cases that residents said was spiralling out of control. More than 70 died from an earlier surge in Maiduguri, and a new rural outbreak has spiked over the past two weeks in communities on Lake Chad shores.
11 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Monday 6 July

Gunmen kill nine farmers in Nigeria's Kaduna state
Gunmen killed at least nine farmers and kidnapped "several" others in a raid on farmlands outside Kakangi village in Kaduna state, northwestern Nigeria. The attack follows a pattern of escalating raids by jihadists and criminal gangs on farming communities in northern and central Nigeria.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Gunmen kill nine farmers in northwest Nigeria raid
Gunmen killed at least nine farmers and kidnapped several others in a raid on farmlands outside Kakangi village in Kaduna state, northwestern Nigeria. The attack reflects escalating violence by jihadists and criminal gangs imposing levies on farming communities in northern and central Nigeria.
6 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Saturday 4 July

US withdraws troops deployed for Nigeria anti-IS operation
The United States has withdrawn most troops that were deployed to Nigeria for a special operation against Islamic State fighters in the Lake Chad region, where US and Nigerian forces killed nearly 200 IS fighters in May, including the group's global second-in-command. The US continues to maintain a broader training and technical assistance presence in Nigeria through intelligence sharing and partnership with the Nigerian military.
4 July 2026 · The Standard →

Sunday 21 June

Suspected jihadists kill 11 farmers in two attacks in northeastern Nigeria
Anti-jihadist militia fighters told AFP that suspected jihadists killed 11 farmers in two separate attacks in northeastern Nigeria this weekend. Communities in northern and central Nigeria face attacks from jihadist groups and criminal gangs known as "bandits," who kidnap for ransom, rustle cattle, and impose taxes on farmers seeking field access.
21 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 14 June

Jihadist group kills 20 in northwest Nigeria raid
Suspected jihadists from the Lakurawa group killed more than 20 people in a raid on the Fesken Rafi community in Kebbi state near the Niger border, according to a confidential security report prepared for the United Nations. The attack followed a period of reduced violence by the group and may signal a resurgence of operations.
14 June 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Wednesday 20 May

US-Nigeria airstrikes kill 175 Islamic State fighters in weekend campaign
Joint US and Nigerian military airstrikes over the weekend killed 175 Islamic State jihadists in northeastern Nigeria, including the group's global second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki. The strikes also destroyed checkpoints, weapons caches, and logistical hubs used by the terrorist group.
20 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Sunday 17 May

Gunmen kidnap more than 50 children from Nigerian schools
Gunmen abducted more than 50 children aged mostly between two and five years old from three schools in Mussa, Borno state, north-eastern Nigeria on Friday morning. Eyewitnesses said the suspects used the children as human shields while fleeing on motorbikes; no group has claimed responsibility, though the attacks bear possible hallmarks of Boko Haram.
17 May 2026 · Capital News →

Wednesday 13 May

UN demands independent investigations into Nigeria, Chad airstrikes
The UN rights chief called for independent probes into Nigerian and Chadian military airstrikes that reportedly killed dozens of civilians. Nigerian airstrikes on a market in Zamfara state killed at least 100 civilians according to Amnesty International, though the Nigerian military disputed civilian casualty figures as unverified.
13 May 2026 · The Standard →

Friday 8 May

Boko Haram kills 18 loggers in northeast Nigeria attack
Boko Haram jihadists killed 18 loggers in Borno state, Nigeria on Wednesday, according to local sources and militia members. The group has increasingly targeted loggers, farmers, and other workers in the region, accusing them of spying for the military.
8 May 2026 · The Standard →

Wednesday 6 May

Boko Haram attack on Chad military base kills at least 24
An overnight attack by suspected Boko Haram jihadists on the Barka Tolorom military base on Lake Chad's shores killed at least 24 people according to a regional administrator, with an army source reporting 25 dead and 46 wounded.
6 May 2026 · Citizen Digital →

Tuesday 28 April

IS claims Nigeria village attack that killed 29 people
Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack in Nigeria's Adamawa state that killed at least 29 people. Gunmen raided a football pitch in Guyaku village and opened fire at random, then burned houses, places of worship and motorcycles; the state governor said authorities are intensifying security operations.
28 April 2026 · Capital News →