Boko Haram Changes Attack Strategy
Hundreds of bodies have been found in Damasak, Nigeria. Unlike, the bodies recovered from mass graves earlier this year, these people appear to be newly deceased. This past Friday, April 24, 2015, twenty-one Nigerian men were found shot dead in the north-eastern Yobe state. Boko Haram fighters disguised themselves as Nigerian military troops and stopped the men who were attempting to bring back grains from their abandoned homes before shooting them. This incident isn’t an unfamiliar one. In June of 2014, Boko Haram fighters dressed as Nigerian troops rounded up and killed roughly 200 civilians in Northern Nigeria.
The Nigerian Government is claiming that they have been successfully taking back territory, and to an extent, they have. Their ability to maintain control over these territories is another matter. In November 2014, Boko Haram took control of Damasak, but in March, a multinational joint taskforce of troops from Nigeria and Chad successfully reclaimed the city.
During that time, troops discovered a mass grave of about 100 bodies. On April 27th, 2015, more bodies were found in Damasak. The time of death of these persons indicates that Boko Haram was able to re-infiltrate towns that had supposedly been taken back and launch a sizeable attack against civilians still occupying the city. In January of 2015, the American government was cautious about working the with Nigerian government and providing them with intelligence because of fears that Boko Haram had infiltrated their military. While there is no confirmed evidence, it could be one of several explanations for their ability to obtain Nigerian military uniforms.
Boko Haram’s ability to cause damage in a supposedly liberated city or territory has been seen time and time again. Just one day after slaughtering the 21 men in Yobe, Boko Haram launched an attack on a military base for Nigerien troops. This attack revealed Boko Haram’s continuing strength and ability.
This attack pattern is consistent with a change in Boko Haram’s strategy from attempting to conquer territory, to a more hit-and-run style. Launching a damaging attack on one location, and then moving on to the next. While this strategy may not be the most effective in growing a state, it does allow for a long term survival strategy.
