JNIM and Islamic State Sahel Province Clash Inside Niger for the First Time

Al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and Islamic State Sahel Province fought inside Niger for the first time when ISSP attacked a JNIM position in the Tillaberi region on April 2, claiming 35 kills and seizing weapons. The expansion from Mali and Burkina Faso into Niger signals deteriorating border security and intensifying intra-jihadist competition. The Africa Center for Strategic Studies assessed that JNIM is exploiting Niger-Nigeria security gaps to establish rear bases, bringing the groups into direct confrontation in new territory.