Deadly blast rocks ISWAP camp as six bomb makers die handling explosives

At least six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including a bomb-making specialist identified as Abu Umar, were reportedly killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded prematurely in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources disclosed to Zagazola Makama, a counter security experts, that the incident occurred around 7:00 a.m. on Friday at Jubilaram, where the insurgents were allegedly assembling explosive materials when the device detonated unexpectedly.

According to intelligence reports, Abu Umar, believed to be a key figure in ISWAP’s bomb-making operations, died alongside five other militants in the explosion, while three additional members of the group reportedly sustained severe injuries.

The blast was said to have destroyed the suspected IED assembly point, triggering heavy casualties among the insurgents and disrupting activities within the group’s explosives network operating around the Marte–Kerenoa–Wulgo corridor in the Lake Chad Basin.

Security analysts believe the death of experienced bomb-makers could significantly weaken ISWAP’s ability to manufacture and deploy improvised explosive devices along strategic routes frequently used by insurgents in the region.

Sources further revealed that the affected facility, believed to serve as one of the group’s IED production hubs between Arinna Maimasallaci and Arinna Ciki, may have been rendered temporarily inoperative following the explosion.

Military authorities are reportedly considering follow-up air and ground offensives aimed at exploiting the setback and further degrading ISWAP’s operational capabilities within the Marte axis and surrounding areas.

The latest development comes amid ongoing military efforts to intensify counterinsurgency operations across Nigeria’s North-East region, where extremist groups continue to stage attacks despite sustained offensives by security forces.