Explosives Kill 6 ISWAP Bomb Makers In Borno

Six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been killed following a premature improvised explosive device (IED) that detonated in Marte local government area of Borno State.

Security sources said the incident occurred at about 7am yesterday at Jubilaram, where the terrorists were reportedly assembling an explosive device.

The sources said the group of IED makers was led by a suspected bomb expert identified as Abu Umar, who also died in the explosion alongside five other terrorists.

Three other members of the group reportedly sustained serious injuries in the incident.

Intelligence assessments revealed that the deceased suspects were part of ISWAP’s IED-making cell operating within the Marte-Kerenoa-Wulgo axis, a known corridor for insurgents’ movements in the Lake Chad Basin.

The explosion is believed to have occurred while the device was being prepared, leading to a premature detonation that destroyed the site and caused multiple casualties.

The death of Abu Umar and other identified bomb-making specialists could significantly disrupt the group’s improvised explosive device operations in the area.

The incident reportedly affected an IED manufacturing hub located between Arinna Maimasallaci and Arinna Ciki, which may now be temporarily non-operational following the blast.

Military sources said the development could further degrade the operational capability of ISWAP terrorists along key routes in the Marte axis.

Security authorities are reportedly considering follow-up air and ground operations to exploit the situation and further deny insurgents freedom of action in the area.