Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021)

Battle of Sambisa Forest
Part of the Boko Haram insurgency
Date14–19 May 2021
Location11°15′00″N 13°25′00″E / 11.25000°N 13.41667°E / 11.25000; 13.41667
Result ISWAP victory
Territorial
changes
Sambisa Forest is captured by ISWAP
Belligerents

Islamic State

Islamic State

Commanders and leaders
Abubakar Shekau  Abu Musab al-Barnawi
Muhammad Dawud ("Abu Hafsat")
Bako Gorgore (probably KIA)
Dana Daguri
Units involved
Unknown

Military of IS

Strength
Unknown
Several suicide bombers
Some technicals
Dozens of technicals
Casualties and losses
Many killed, many others defected; several executed Several killed
Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021) is located in Nigeria
Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021)
Location of Sambisa Forest
Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021) is located in Africa
Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021)
Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021) (Africa)

In May 2021, the Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP) launched an invasion of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, Nigeria, which was serving as the main base of Boko Haram, a rival jihadist rebel group. Following heavy fighting, ISWAP overran the Boko Haram troops, cornering their leader Abubakar Shekau. The two sides entered negotiations about Boko Haram's surrender during which Shekau committed suicide, possibly detonating himself with a suicide vest. Shekau's death was regarded as a major event by outside observers, as he had been one of the main driving forces in the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria and neighboring countries since 2009.

  1. ^ "Nigeria Troops Overrun ISWAP Jihadist Camps in Northeast". Defense Post. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).