ISIS West Africa — Ramadan 'Camp Burning Campaign' Offensive
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ISIS West Africa Province (ISWAP) has launched a major Ramadan offensive in Borno State, Nigeria, under the operational banner 'Muhraqa al-Mu'askar' (Camp Burning Campaign). In a single night, four Nigerian Army bases were simultaneously attacked — Kanduga, Maynouk, Jakana, and Marti. Combined casualties include at least 10 soldiers killed and 1 officer, 37+ military vehicles destroyed or seized, and substantial weapons hauls. A suicide vehicle bomb (SVBIED) near Sambisa Forest the following morning killed or wounded approximately 20 Nigerian soldiers.
ANALYSIS
ISWAP's Kanduga attack targeted a military camp, barracks, and the local militia commander's residence simultaneously. Fighters killed 1 officer and 2 soldiers, burned 11 vehicles and 9 motorcycles, destroyed a church, and seized 4 vehicles, 68 motorcycles, and 2 rifles before withdrawing. They also killed 4 police officers at a separate barracks and seized a heavy machine gun.
At Maynouk, fighters overran the camp after killing 3 soldiers, burned barracks and 7 vehicles, and seized 10 rifles, 4 heavy/medium machine guns, 2 RPG launchers, and 2 mortars. The Jakana attack killed 3 soldiers, burned 13 vehicles and 4 motorcycles, detonated an IED on a reinforcement patrol (disabling 2 armored vehicles), and seized 32 rifles and 5 machine guns. The Marti camp attack — the fourth simultaneous operation — resulted in fighters overrunning portions of the camp, killing 3 soldiers, burning 2 armored vehicles, disabling 2 more with RPGs, and seizing 5 vehicles, 10 rifles, 10 machine guns, 2 RPG launchers, a grenade launcher, and a mortar. Some ISWAP fighters were killed by Nigerian Air Force aircraft during withdrawal.
The following morning's SVBIED attack near Njima village in Sambisa Forest demonstrates operational sequencing — the suicide bombing forced the abandonment of a newly established Nigerian Army position. This pattern of simultaneous multi-site raids followed by SVBIED exploitation reflects mature tactical coordination. The campaign was directly called for in a recent ISWAP spokesperson address and is timed for maximum Ramadan propaganda value. Al-Naba newspaper issues 536 and 537 have been distributed via RocketChat, serving as the official ISIS weekly news publication.
