Five suspected ISWAP bomb experts have been killed after an explosive device they were assembling detonated prematurely in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
Security sources told analyst Zagazola Makama that the blast occurred at Maina Daya Village, a remote settlement located between Sabon Tumbu and Jubilaram. The village sits roughly 29 kilometres east of Monguno.
Among the dead is Usman Dan Fulani, who intelligence sources described as an ISWAP medical officer. Two foreign nationals of Arab origin, believed to be IED technicians, also died in the explosion. Two additional bomb-making experts were killed alongside them.
The five ISWAP bomb experts were reportedly preparing devices for deployment when the explosion occurred. Intelligence assessments suggest the group intended to plant the devices along military supply routes within Sector 1 of Operation HADIN KAI, the Nigerian military’s counter-insurgency campaign in the North East.
Security sources believe the loss of these ISWAP bomb experts could significantly disrupt the group’s explosives production. Analysts say roadside bombs remain one of ISWAP’s most consistent tactics against troops, military convoys and civilian motorists across Borno State.
The strike against the ISWAP bomb experts comes amid a wider counter-terrorism push across the North East. Following the incident, troops operating under Operation HADIN KAI have reportedly been directed to intensify patrols. Cordon-and-search operations and precision offensives are expected around Monguno, Marte and Gamboru Ngala. Military planners hope the sustained pressure will prevent the terror group from rebuilding its bomb-making capability in the area.
Makama, a security analyst and counter-insurgency expert who focuses on the Lake Chad Basin, disclosed the incident on Tuesday. He said security operations remain ongoing as authorities work to verify further details about the explosion.
The presence of foreign IED technicians among the dead ISWAP bomb experts points to the group’s continued reliance on outside expertise. Analysts tracking the insurgency say ISWAP has periodically drawn on trainers linked to wider Islamic State networks to sustain its explosives programme in the Lake Chad region.
Marte Local Government Area has witnessed sustained insurgent activity in recent years. The area lies within a corridor long associated with ISWAP logistics and movement between Nigeria, Niger and Chad. Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have previously recorded gains in the same corridor, including surrenders and the destruction of insurgent camps.
Nigerian security forces have intensified operations against ISWAP through 2026, combining ground offensives with air support to degrade the group’s capacity. The elimination of ISWAP bomb experts in such operations has become a recurring feature of these efforts. Officials say the loss of experienced bomb-makers, such as those killed in the Maina Daya blast, tends to slow the group’s ability to launch roadside attacks, even if only temporarily.
Analysts caution that ISWAP has historically replaced lost technical personnel within weeks, drawing on training networks that persist despite battlefield losses. Security sources say sustained pressure, rather than a single incident, will determine whether the deaths of these ISWAP bomb experts translate into a lasting reduction in the group’s IED capability.
The Nigerian military has not yet issued an official statement confirming the incident. Reports so far rely on security sources cited by Makama, whose platform has provided early intelligence on similar incidents in the past.
Residents in communities near Marte have endured years of displacement linked to ISWAP activity. Humanitarian organisations operating in Borno State continue to report population movements along the Monguno-Marte-Gamboru Ngala corridor, even as military operations continue.
For now, the deaths of the ISWAP bomb experts mark another setback for the group’s explosives network, though analysts stress that verification and sustained military pressure will be needed to confirm the incident’s full impact on ISWAP’s operations in the North East.
