Al-Qaeda and IS rivalry sparks fierce fighting across Sahel

Jihadists from rival al-Qaeda and Islamic State factions in the Sahel have clashed on an unprecedented scale in recent weeks with claims of hundreds of fighters killed. The two extremist coalitions covered influence over the same areas, routes and local populations in the borderlands spanning Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Analysts say ideological and strategic tensions also fueled the rivalry. On Monday, the Islamic State in the Sahel province said it had killed more than 400 fighters from the al-Qaeda-linked NIM, including several leaders, in clashes four days earlier in Burkina Faso. The toll has yet to be independently confirmed. If verified, analysts say it would be the deadliest single battle recorded between the two groups. It would surpass the more than 200 deaths already claimed by the Islamic State group in the same area in early September. Between 2019 and last month, the two jihadist groups fought more than 320 battles, resulting in about 2,200 deaths. The rivalry also drives their constant expansion in the Sahel, which the ruling juntas in Ouagadougou, Bamako and Niamey have found difficult to contain.