Five suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), including four alleged bomb-making specialists and a medical officer, have reportedly been killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded while they were assembling it in Borno State.
The incident reportedly occurred at Maina Daya Village in Marte Local Government Area, located between Sabon Tumbu and Jubilaram, about 29 kilometres east of Monguno.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the explosion happened while the suspected insurgents were preparing improvised explosive devices for deployment in planned attacks.
“The explosion reportedly occurred while the group was assembling improvised explosive devices for deployment,” Makama reported.
Those said to have died in the explosion include Usman Dan Fulani, identified as an ISWAP medical officer, two foreign Arab nationals reportedly serving as IED technicians, and two other suspected bomb-making experts.
Preliminary intelligence reports indicated that the group was allegedly preparing explosives for attacks targeting key military supply routes within the Sector 1 operational area of Operation HADIN KAI.
Security sources quoted by Makama said the incident is expected to deal a significant setback to ISWAP’s operational capability, particularly its ability to manufacture and deploy roadside bombs in the Marte-Monguno axis.
According to the sources, the loss of experienced bomb technicians could temporarily disrupt the group’s logistics and reduce the frequency of IED attacks against military formations operating in the area.
Following the incident, military authorities reportedly directed troops to intensify patrols, cordon-and-search operations and offensive missions across Monguno, Marte and Gamboru Ngala to prevent the insurgents from regrouping or rebuilding their bomb-making network.
Makama added that security operations remain ongoing as troops continue efforts to verify details surrounding the explosion and sustain pressure on terrorist hideouts across the North-East.
The Nigerian military has yet to issue an official statement on the reported incident.
