The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) has claimed responsibility for what appears to be its first reported attacks in North-west Nigeria, alleging that its fighters killed 18 soldiers and a police officer in attacks in Kebbi and Sokoto states.
Al-Naba, the Islamic State’s weekly propaganda magazine published on Thursdays, carried the claims.
The announcement came about six months after Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against what he described as Islamic State elements in Nigeria’s North-west, following his allegations of Christian genocide in the country.
Security analysts and observers, however, remain divided over the extent of Islamic State’s presence in the region.
According to Al-Naba, ISSP fighters ambushed a Nigerian Army patrol team on 15 May near Runji village in Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The group claimed the ambush triggered a gun battle involving machine guns, killing seven soldiers and injuring others who later fled the scene.
ISSP also alleged that its fighters burnt a military vehicle and seized eight rifles and three machine guns during the encounter.
In Kebbi State, the group claimed its fighters carried out another ambush earlier in May near Giro Masa village, killing 11 soldiers and a police officer while injuring several others.
Al-Naba reported that troops came under attack while trying to track the fighters in the area.
The publication also claimed that the attackers destroyed two military vehicles and carted away weapons during the operation.
Authorities have not independently verified the claims, and the Nigerian military has yet to issue an official response.
However, similar attacks occurred in mid-May in Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State and Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State. Authorities blamed those attacks on Lakurawa, a terror group that has operated in the region for years.
The latest claims have renewed debate over Lakurawa’s affiliations.
Analysts continue to disagree over the group’s ideological and operational ties. Some believe Lakurawa aligns with an al-Qaeda-linked franchise operating across the Sahel, while others argue the group functions as a local affiliate of the Islamic State.
The uncertainty surrounding Lakurawa’s allegiance has further complicated efforts to define the rapidly evolving militant landscape in Nigeria’s North-west, where armed banditry, cross-border insurgency and extremist infiltration increasingly overlap.