Description: Unidentified gunmen launched ambush attacks on three Nigerian military outposts in the northern parts of the country killing seventeen soldiers. The Nigerian military stated they pursued the armed militia and managed to eliminate several perpetrators, however, failed to identify the group’s regional affiliations. Forward operating bases in the Kwanar Dutse Mariga and Boka areas were targeted, regions known to have been influenced by terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and splinter cells of the Islamic State. Nigeria has come under significant pressure from expansion of terrorist attacks on its territory in recent months mostly involving the regional dominant terrorist group Boko Haram.
Impact: The African continent has been significantly destabilized by the recent upsurge in terrorist activities mostly perpetrated by influential terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Military outposts in neighboring Niger were recently targeted by terrorist groups, signaling operational expansions in the region and emphasizing the lack of capabilities by the regional government forces in challenging the terrorist groups. The Sahel region experiences considerable destabilization with the reemergence of terrorist groups aiming at establishing larger operational footholds in the country, challenging the government forces. The instability could substantially impact Nigeria’s growing economy in several sectors such as oil, financial markets and services and pharmaceuticals and influence the country’s economic growth in the long – term.