Six ISWAP B0mb Makers K!lled As IED Expl0des Prematurely In Borno
Six ISWAP Bomb Makers Killed As IED Explodes Prematurely In Borno
Three other members of the cell reportedly sustained severe injuries in the incident.
Six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) they were assembling detonated prematurely in the Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to the report, the explosion occurred at about 7am on Friday, May 16, 2026, in Jubilaram, where the terrorists were reportedly fabricating the explosive device.
A security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident in a post on X, citing security intelligence sources.
“Security sources told Zagazola that the group was led by a suspected bomb expert identified as Abu Umar, who died in the blast alongside five other militants,” the report said.
Three other members of the cell reportedly sustained severe injuries in the incident.
Intelligence assessments indicated that the deceased fighters were part of ISWAP’s IED-making unit operating along the Marte–Kerenoa–Wulgo axis, a strategic corridor in the Lake Chad Basin long used by insurgents for movement and logistics.
Sources said the explosion likely occurred during active assembly of the device, triggering a premature detonation that destroyed the workshop and left multiple casualties.
The death of Abu Umar and other key bomb-making specialists is believed to have dealt a setback to the group’s IED operations in the region.
The affected site, described as an improvised bomb-making hub between Arinna Maimasallaci and Arinna Ciki, has reportedly been rendered temporarily inactive following the blast.
Military sources further suggested that the development could weaken ISWAP’s operational capacity along key routes in the Marte axis, while security agencies are reportedly weighing follow-up air and ground operations to exploit the disruption.
