Battle of Marte
| Battle of Marte | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Boko Haram insurgency | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Nigeria |
 Islamic State - West Africa Province | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Several hundred | 2,000 | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Heavy | Heavy | ||||||||
Between April 24 and 25, 2015, militants from the Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked the town of Marte, Borno State, Nigeria, capturing it from Nigerian forces. The battle was the first success of Boko Haram in 2015 since the Baga massacre in January.
Background
[edit]Boko Haram emerged in 2009 as a jihadist social and political movement in a failed rebellion in northeast Nigeria.[1] Throughout the following years, Abubakar Shekau unified militant Islamist groups in the region and continued to foment the rebellion against the Nigerian government, conducting terrorist attacks and bombings in cities and communities across the region.[2] On March 7, 2015, the group publicly declared allegiance to the Islamic State and became known as the Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP).[3]
During the 2015 West African offensive, Nigerian, Chadian, and Nigerien forces recaptured large swathes of Borno State that Boko Haram captured in late 2014. The offensive intensified in March, when Chadian and Nigerien forces captured Damasak, Chadian forces captured Dikwa, and Nigerian forces captured Bama and Gwoza.[4] Malam Fatori fell to the allied forces on April 1.[5] Many jihadists fled into the forests of Borno State to recoup their losses.
Marte was among the towns recaptured by the allied offensive after having been under Boko Haram control since 2013.[6]
Battle
[edit]About 2,000 ISWAP fighters entered Marte on the night of April 24, sparking battles with Nigerian forces. These battles lasted all night and into the morning of April 25.[7] Several hundred Nigerian soldiers attempted to resist the attack in Marte and the neighboring town of Kirenowa, but were overrun.[7] Casualties from the battle are unknown, but expected to be significant.[7][8]
On April 25, the same day of the fall, Nigerian officials did not confirm whether Marte had fallen, and called the withdrawal from the town a strategic retreat.[8] Nigerian Defense Headquarters confimed on April 28 that Nigerian forces were not in control of Marte.[9] ISWAP recaptured Marte again on the night between May 15 and 16.[10]
References
[edit]- ↑ Walker, Andrew (2016-02-04). "Join us or die: the birth of Boko Haram". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ↑ "Nigeria unrest: 'Boko Haram' gunmen kill 44 at mosque". BBC News. 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
- ↑ Porter, Geoff (2015-03-19). "A Biography of Boko Haram and the Bay`a to al-Baghdadi". Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- ↑ "Boko Haram on the Back Foot? | International Crisis Group". www.crisisgroup.org. 2016-05-04. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
- ↑ eribake, akintayo (2015-04-05). "How Niger, Chadian troops recaptured Malam Fatori". Vanguard News. Retrieved 2026-06-19.
- ↑ "Au Nigeria, la ville stratégique de Marte reprise par Boko Haram". Le Monde (in French). 2015-05-16. ISSN 1950-6244. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- 1 2 3 "Nigeria : Boko Haram reprend une localité du Nord-est". Le Point (in French). 2015-04-25. Archived from the original on 2025-02-20. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- 1 2 "Boko Haram retakes key town from Nigerian army: witnesses". Al Arabiya English. 2015-04-25. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- ↑ daniel (2015-04-28). "Boko Haram Not In Control Of Mafa, Marte – DHQ • Sambisa Forest Operation In Progress". Information Nigeria. Retrieved 2026-07-17.
- ↑ Iroegbu, Senator; Olugbode, Michael (May 17, 2015). "Nigeria: Military Downplays Recapture of Marte As Explosion Rocks Damaturu Motor Park". This Day via AllAfrica. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
