Six ISWAP bomb makers killed in IED blast in Borno

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

Six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province were killed when a premature improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.

According to security sources, the incident took place around 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, 16 May 2026, in Jubilaram, where the militants were allegedly building an explosive device.

The blast occurred only hours after joint U.S. forces and the Nigerian Army eliminated a senior ISWAP commander in the Lake Chad region.

Sources said the IED makers were led by a suspected bomb expert named Abu Umar, who died in the blast along with five other militants.

Three other members of the group were reported to have sustained serious injuries.

Intelligence assessments indicated that the deceased were part of ISWAP’s IED‑making cell that operates along the Marte–Kerenoa–Wulgo axis, a known insurgent corridor in the Lake Chad Basin.

The blast is thought to have occurred while the device was being assembled, resulting in a premature detonation that destroyed the site and caused multiple casualties.

The loss of Abu Umar and other bomb‑making specialists may significantly disrupt ISWAP’s IED operations in the region.

The incident reportedly damaged an IED‑manufacturing hub situated between Arinna Maimasallaci and Arinna Ciki, which may be temporarily nonoperational after the blast.

Military sources said the incident could further degrade ISWAP’s operational capability along key routes in the Marte axis.

Security authorities are reportedly planning follow‑up air and ground operations to take advantage of the situation and further restrict insurgent activity in the area.

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