Thread by @MENASTREAM

#Sahel: After a two-month hiatus justified by "security and technical" reasons, #ISWAP (Greater Sahara) resurfaced in Islamic State's Al-Naba following the death of its founder and emir Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi. The group claimed 7 operations, killing 65 of its enemies.

#Sahel: #ISWAP-GS reportedly lost forty men in these operations, all in the 11 July attack in Tchomabangou, for which it had not claimed responsibility until now.

#Sahel: It also claimed to have killed 17 #JNIM fighters in the Korfooueyouey area on 18 August. Local sources said that the fighting took place on 22 August between Intaylalene and Kacham, with the reported deaths in JNIM ranks in line with the claim.

#Sahel: However, less successful fighting in Petelgaoudi and Fererio, where the group was forced to retreat, was not mentioned.

#Sahel: The capture and killings of alleged spies reportedly took place in Menaka region, coinciding with several abductions in the Ansongo area. The geographic distinction between the two areas is not well-defined in claims and lack precision to straightforwardly pin them down.

#Sahel: A mortar and RPG attack on 28 August targeted a village transliterated in the claim as "Gagari" but actually refers to Inekar about 7 km north of Banibangou.

#Sahel: The key takeaway is that #ISWAP-GS' Al-Naba comeback was very timid given the circumstances and the group is light years from its 2019-2020 operational capacity when it began to seriously challenge the hegemony of its Al-Qaeda rival, #JNIM.