Militant Islamist groups in Africa continue to be highly active agents of instability across five theaters on the continent. The 22,307 fatalities linked to these groups over the past year sustain a record level of lethality observed since 2023 and represent a 60-percent increase from the 2020-2022 period.
Nearly half of the fatalities (10,685) in the past year have been in the Sahel. Somalia represents roughly a third of the continental fatalities (7,289). Along with the Lake Chad Basin, these three regions account for 99 percent of the militant Islamist-linked fatalities in Africa the past year. All five African theaters (including Mozambique and North Africa) remain highly dynamic with militant insurgents mounting offensive operations in each, especially in the Sahel and Somalia.
Read more…
Source: Africa Center for Strategic Studies
Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Nigeria: Troops discover, destroy IED on Borno road
July 29, 2026
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have discovered and safely detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) planted along the Dikwa-Gajibo road in Borno State. The explosive device was discovered at about 10:10 a.m. on Monday by troops of the 81 Division Task Force Battalion during a routine picketing patrol along the Dikwa-Gajibo axis. “The troops immediately secured the ...
- South Sudan: UNMAS hands over operational equipment to strengthen National Mine Action capacity
July 28, 2026
UNMAS, together with the National Mine Action Authority (NMAA), marked the official handover of vehicles and operational equipment procured under ‘The Project for the Improvement of the Working Environment for Mine Action Agencies’, funded by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) The handover represents a significant investment in strengthening the operational capacity of the ...
- Kenya: Four police officers killed in Mandera IED attack
July 28, 2026
Five security personnel have been killed following a roadside bomb attack in Arabia, Mandera County. The casualties include four officers from the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) and one National Police Reservist (NPR). According to local authorities, the officers were on a routine security patrol when their vehicle struck a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted along ...
- Nigeria: Terrorists exploit solar street lights for IEDs
July 26, 2026
Terrorist groups operating in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West are increasingly adapting their tactics by exploiting public infrastructure, with recent military and police operations reportedly uncovering evidence that components from solar street lights are being repurposed for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). According to security reports and images circulated from recent operations, insurgents linked to Boko Haram and ...
- UNSMIL explores Tunisian expertise for mine clearance in Libya
July 25, 2026
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is seeking to draw on Tunisian expertise to strengthen Libya’s capacity in mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal. The discussions came during a visit to the Tunisian Centre of Excellence for Countering Improvised Explosive Devices in Bizerte by the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Resident ...
- Kenya: KDF neutralise 4 IEDs along key routes in Lamu
July 20, 2026
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) troops operating under Operation Amani Boni (OAB) have disrupted terrorist plans after detecting and safely destroying four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) hidden along key supply routes in Lamu County. According to their X post on Monday, July 20, 2026, the discoveries were made during routine dominance patrols and route clearance operations aimed at securing ...
- Nigeria: Troops arrest suspected terrorist informants, logistics suppliers in Borno
July 17, 2026
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested suspected terrorist informants and logistics suppliers, received the surrender of a suspected member of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and destroyed an improvised explosive device (IED) during separate operations across Borno State. According to an operational report released yesterday, troops of the 195 Battalion, in collaboration with members of ...
- Nigeria: Troops discover, safely dispose of IED in Sambisa farming area
July 16, 2026
Troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade Garrison, Operation HADIN KAI, have discovered and safely disposed of an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by suspected terrorists in a farming area of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State. Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the device was discovered at about 9:50 a.m. on July 15 during a ...
- DR Congo: Humanitarian workers escape violence at Ebola treatment center
July 16, 2026
Humanitarian workers involved in the Ebola response had to be evacuated early Thursday from an Ebola treatment center in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province after violence erupted because of a dead body, according to media reports. Ahead of the violence, a pregnant woman reportedly died from anemia at Nyakunde General Hospital, where an Ebola ...
- Nigeria: How Boko Haram uses AI to build bombs, improve attacks
July 11, 2026
Boko Haram fighters have increasingly turned to artificial intelligence tools to improve their operations, using chatbots to obtain technical guidance on attacks, weapons and battlefield tactics, according to a report by The New York Times on Friday. Citing a study by terrorism and technology researcher Antonia Juelich of the University of Cambridge, the newspaper reported that ...
- Nigeria: IED explosion kills army captain, two soldiers in Niger State
July 10, 2026
An Army captain and two other soldiers were reportedly killed when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded at Maciyan-Kyada Village in the Babanna Ward of Borgu Local Council of Niger State. A security source said two other soldiers sustained injuries in the explosion, noting that the troops were leaving Babanna town at about 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday for ...
- Morocco: ‘ISIS plotters preparing car-bomb attack’ arrested
July 6, 2026
Ten terror suspects have been arrested in Morocco over claims they pledged allegiance to ISIS and planned to carry out a car-bomb attack. Members of the alleged terrorist cell had received instructions from ISIS leaders in Africa, said Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigations. Read more… Source: The National Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters The latest news and insights delivered right to your ...
- Kenya: DCI, US launch bomb technician course to counter explosive threats
July 6, 2026
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched a specialised bomb technician training course aimed at strengthening Kenya’s preparedness and response to explosive-related threats. The seven-week Explosive Incident Countermeasures Course, launched on Monday at the Border Police College in Kanyonyo, has brought together officers drawn from the Bomb Disposal Unit and the Administration Police Special Operations ...
- Nigeria: Three soldiers reportedly killed, several injured in suspected IED explosion
July 5, 2026
Three Nigerian soldiers were reportedly killed and several others injured after their patrol vehicle allegedly struck an Improvised Explosive Device, IED, near Babanna in Borgu Local Government Area. The incident was reported by conflict and security journalist Bakatsine in a post on X on Sunday. According to the report, the explosion occurred on Saturday morning between Machiyan Gyada and Baturen ...
- Africa marks mine awareness day amidst the ongoing threat of IEDs
July 4, 2026
African nations join the world today in commemorating the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action under the theme “Safe futures start here.” The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly to be observed on April 4 to address the threats posed by anti-personnel mines and explosive remnants of war, including ...
- UN: Sudan’s people subject to ‘relentless’ drone strikes in El Obeid
July 3, 2026
The war in Sudan threatens to spiral further as the strategically-important town of El Obeid continues to face “relentless” drone attacks by advancing paramilitary militias, the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, said on Friday. Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, he called for urgent action from world leaders to stop the heavy fighting that has already ...
- Nigeria: IED explosion leaves 2 soldiers dead in Sokoto
July 2, 2026
Two soldiers were reportedly killed, while another sustained injuries in the early hours of Wednesday after an improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted by bandits, exploded along the Tidibale–Tagirke axis in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The latest incident is the third IED attack recorded in eastern Sokoto within 11 days. Sources told Daily Trust ...
- Central African Republic Unveils Five-Year Strategy to Expand Mine Clearance Efforts
June 29, 2026
The Central African Republic (CAR) and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) have adopted a five-year national strategy to strengthen mine action and explosive ordnance risk prevention, according to a statement released on Saturday, June 27. The authorities validated the strategy following a seminar organized by the National Mine Action Authority (ANLAM) with ...
- South Africa: Man arrested for possession of explosive cables
June 29, 2026
The Border Management Authority (BMA) has intercepted explosive cables with an estimated street value of about R100 000 concealed in the luggage of a Malawian man travelling on an Interlink bus at the Beitbridge Port of Entry. BMA Acting Commissioner, retired Major-General David Chilembe, commended the vigilance and professionalism of border guards following the arrest of the ...
- Nigeria: Bandits Plant IED on Sokoto Road to prevent response from security operatives
June 28, 2026
Residents of Kurawa and neighbouring communities in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State have alleged that suspected bandits planted another improvised explosive device (IED) along the Sabon Birni–Kurawa road following fresh attacks on villages in the area. The explosive was allegedly planted in the early hours of Sunday to prevent security personnel stationed in ...
- Benin: France equips the Beninese army with advanced equipment to counter IEDs
June 24, 2026
The military cooperation between Benin and France is intensifying in response to regional security challenges. On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, the 1st Engineer Battalion and the Center for Post-Conflict Demining and Pollution Action Training (CPADD) officially received a significant batch of high-tech equipment. This provision specifically aims to enhance the effectiveness of the armed forces in ...
- Mozambique: Terrorists resort to IEDs as their central defense strategy
June 23, 2026
The Islamist terrorists that have been carrying out attacks against the districts of the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado have been resorting to improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as a central element of their defense strategy. In a report, the independent conflict registration project ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project) revealed that the most ...
