Maiduguri, Borno State – By Prime Brief Media
At least six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province were killed on Saturday morning when an improvised explosive device they were assembling detonated unexpectedly at Jubilaram in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Defence Headquarters confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, describing the accidental explosion as a significant setback for the terror group's bomb-making operations. "Intelligence reports confirm that six ISWAP bomb specialists were killed in the premature explosion. Several others are believed to have been injured. The group's capacity to manufacture and deploy IEDs has been substantially degraded in that sector," the statement read.
Jubilaram, located in the marshy fringes of the Lake Chad Basin, has been a known operational hub for ISWAP, where the group manufactures IEDs and stages attacks against military and civilian targets. The premature detonation is not the first such incident; insurgent bomb makers have occasionally fallen victim to their own devices due to poor handling or unstable materials.
The military has intensified air and ground operations in the Lake Chad region following the killing of ISIS deputy leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki in a joint US-Nigerian operation, and the recent US AFRICOM airstrikes have put additional pressure on insurgent movements.
Prime Brief Media will continue to track security and rescue efforts across the state as this story develops.
#Borno #ISWAP #IEDExplosion #CounterTerrorism #NigeriaSecurity #PrimeBriefMedia