Two suspected senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) members, including a bomb-making specialist and senior commander, have surrendered to troops in Yobe state.
Military sources told Zagozola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, that the men surrendered to troops of the 159 Battalion on June 8 in Geidam, Yobe state.
According to sources, the alleged insurgents were identified as Abu Umar and Ismail Mohammed.
Makama said the development is being viewed as a major win for security forces battling Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents across the Lake Chad region.
“Military sources described Abu Umar as a renowned ISWAP engineer and specialist in the construction and deployment of Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs), commonly known as car bombs,” Makama said.
“The sources noted that specialists involved in the design and deployment of improvised explosive devices occupy critical positions within terrorist organisations because they provide the technical expertise required to conduct high-profile attacks against military formations, civilian targets and strategic infrastructure.”
Sources told Makama that information from the surrendered insurgents could help security agencies identify bomb factories, storage facilities, training locations and logistic routes used by insurgents.
Makama said Mohammed, one of the suspects, was a commander operating in the Baa Shuwa area of the Timbuktu Triangle, known as one of the insurgents’ strategic enclaves in the north-east.
“The surrender of Abu Umar is particularly significant because Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices have historically been among the deadliest weapons deployed by terrorist groups in the North-East,” Makama said.
“Over the years, VBIED attacks have been used to target military installations, markets, places of worship and other public locations, resulting in numerous casualties and widespread destruction.”