Militants fighting for Boko Haram in West Africa have released the first images of their terror activities since pledging allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Taken somewhere in the forests of north-eastern Nigeria, the images show the jihadis casually posing in front of the terror group’s sinister black and white flag while brandishing assault rifles.
The slick photographs carry all the logos and artwork typically seen in official ISIS releases, suggesting the Middle East-based militants have taken full control of Boko Haram propaganda.
The release came as Nigerian soldiers backed by warplanes invaded the Islamist’s final stronghold in the country – the Sambisa forest – in an effort to finally defeat the six-year-old insurgency.
Over the last six years, Boko Haram have killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds in a battle to establish an Islamic caliphate in Nigeria.
Earlier this year the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a video saying the group had pledged allegiance to ISIS and would be dropping the name Boko Haram.
Instead they now refer to themselves as Wilayat al Sudan al Gharbi, which is commonly translated into English as the ‘West African Province’ of the Islamic State.
Since their ISIS allegiance video earlier in the year, Boko Haram has not released any official propaganda photographs or video footage.
Typically ISIS and their affiliates release shocking images of mass executions or the brutal enforcement of Sharia law after similar periods of silence.
The fact Boko Haram have returned with little more than a series of group shots and pastoral scenes is perhaps symptomatic of the group’s rapid decline in influence over the past months.
