Daesh returnees behind surge in Boko Haram's power
The terrorist Boko Haram organization has been
following its most brutal strategy in years since September 2018. Nigerian army
troops and its posts across Nigeria take center stage in the new strategy.
Boko Haram has, meanwhile, abstained from attacking
public institutions. Nevertheless, the new strategy is causing untold losses.
Boko Haram militants staged an attack early on
Wednesday on a Nigerian army base in the northeastern state of Yobe, where around
200 army personnel are usually present. The attack left seven army troops dead
and 50 others injured, according to a statement by the Nigerian army.
Boko Haram launched an attack on an army post in the
eastern state of Borno last week. It left 15 troops dead and 25 others injured.
Boko Haram militants also seized a large number of arms from the post, the
Nigerian army said in a statement.
In early September, the group launched an attack on
another army base in an area near the border with neighboring Niger. At least
35 troops were killed in the attack, the Nigerian army spokesman said in a
statement.
Conflicting stories
Despite repeated statements by the army about the
losses it sustains because of Boko Haram attacks, Nigerian police tells a
different story about the status and strength of the terrorist organization.
Boko Haram, police said in a recent statement, has
turned into a weak organization that has lost its technical abilities in most
of Nigeria.
According to a recent report by the Center for
Democracy and Development, Boko Haram has already lost 50% of its military
capabilities.
The report referred to a drop of almost 90% in the
number of attacks staged by Boko Haram.
Nevertheless, statements by the Nigerian army and the
situation on the ground tell a totally different story. The fact is that the
group has become more brutal than ever before. It demonstrated this by the
repeated attacks it staged in the last few weeks.
Boko Haram fighters lay ambushes for Nigerian army
troops on the streets, especially in Nigerian capital Abuja.
There is anger among Nigerian army troops because of
the low level of morale, one direct result of the resurgence of Boko Haram
attacks against them.
The troops also complained of the failure of the army
command and the Nigerian government to provide them with the arms necessary for
the fight against Boko Haram.
The poor conditions of arming, they said, stood behind
repeated defeats against the terrorist organization.
Baghdadi elements
The rise in Boko Haram power boils down to the fact
that some Daesh fighters who escaped the battlefields in both Syria and Iraq
had joined the organization in Nigeria, said Mohamed Ezz Eddin, a specialist in
African affairs.
He told The Reference that Boko Haram announced a few
weeks ago that a large number of Daesh fighters had joined it.
The organization, he said, also succeeded in
recruiting other fighters, which is giving it added strength.
"Deteriorating political and economic conditions
in Nigeria also help Boko Haram increase its influence in the African
state," Ezz Eddin said.
