Three other members of the cell reportedly sustained severe injuries in the incident.
Six suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been killed after an improvised explosive device (IED) they were assembling detonated prematurely in the Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to the report, the explosion occurred at about 7am on Friday, May 16, 2026, in Jubilaram, where the terrorists were reportedly fabricating the explosive device.
A security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the incident in a post on X, citing security intelligence sources.
“Security sources told Zagazola that the group was led by a suspected bomb expert identified as Abu Umar, who died in the blast alongside five other militants,” the report said.
