Military Uncovers, Dismantles Terrorists’ IED Factory, Store in Mandara Hills

Ikechukwu Aleke in Abuja

The authority of the Nigerian Air Force, yesterday, said the air component of Operation Hadin Kai, discovered and dismantled terrorists’ Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factory and storage facility, concealed in Grazah, a location deep in the Mandara Hills, in Borno State.
A statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, AVM Edward Gabkwet, said the air strikes that dismantled the weapon factory and storage facility were ordered following credible intelligence.

He noted the air component of Operation Hadin Kai tracked the location of the factory from Gwoza to Mandara Hills and dismantled it, as part of effort to forestall further terrorists’ attacks on innocent civilians in Borno State using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and suicide bombers.
In June 2024, Boko Haram terrorists killed no fewer than 30 people in coordinated suicide bomb attacks that took place in four locations in Borno State, first of its kind since 2020. The attacks took place in Gwoza, a town in Borno State, North-east Nigeria.

According to media report: “The first of the three well-coordinated attacks targeted a crowd attending a wedding in the town. The second and third incidents occurred hours later. The fourth incident had no casualties beyond the lone bomber, who killed herself by detonating her improvised explosive device. In all, four suicide bombers died.”

Gwoza was once the seat of the Islamic Caliphate declared by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014.
But AVM Gabkwet in a statement said air strikes were conducted on terrorists’ enclaves at Grazah, a location deep in the Mandara Hills, on 2 August 2024, as a result of concern about recent attacks especially on innocent civilians in Borno State using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and suicide bombers and in a bid to achieve the mandate of the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai.

This, he explained, was sequel to intelligence revealing the sighting of a possible IED factory and storage area for other logistics.
Gabkwet said that for some time now, this IED factory was suspected to have been relocated, first from Gwoza to Timbuktu Triangle in Sambisa Forest and finally berthing at Grazah in the Mandara Hills.
He said the frequent relocation of the IED factory has been attributed to the enormous fire power on terrorists’ enclaves by the combined efforts of the entire security apparatus of Operation Hadin Kai.

According to him, the IED factory’s location at Grazah had been under surveillance for weeks with various installations observed and activities of armed terrorists in the area found to be consistent with those protecting a strategic location.

“Additionally, two-gun trucks were sighted tucked under a large tree near the suspected IED factory. These findings thus necessitated the need for an air strike on the location in order to destroy the suspected IED factory and neutralize the terrorists. Consequently, the targets were acquired and effectively destroyed,” Gabkwet said.

He noted that the aftermath of the air strikes followed by a thick cloud of smoke was indicative that the suspected IED factory, as well as the two-gun trucks, were effectively destroyed, while several terrorists were neutralized.