Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) cameraman and recovered multimedia materials that allegedly revealed the identities of three foreign collaborators operating within terrorist camps in Borno State.
In a statement on Sunday, Captain Muhammed Goni, Acting Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North-East), said the recovered footage identified the suspects as Abu Ishaq, a Palestinian said to be ISWAP’s chief trainer; Abu Thaiba, a Moroccan medical doctor working with the terrorist group; and another Arab operative whose identity has yet to be confirmed.
According to the military, the breakthrough followed a failed infiltration attempt by ISWAP fighters on Saturday in Cross Kauwa, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Goni said the insurgents attempted to take advantage of the cover of darkness to overrun the troops’ position and cart away cholera medical supplies but were repelled after soldiers responded with overwhelming firepower.
“Troops of 19 Brigade, Sector 3, Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, decisively foiled an attempted infiltration by ISWAP terrorists into Cross Kauwa, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers and forcing them to retreat in disarray,” the statement said.
He added that the operation underscored the troops’ vigilance and combat readiness, stressing that security forces continue to deny insurgents freedom of movement across the North-East theatre.
The military said forensic analysis of footage recovered from a Sony camcorder seized during the operation indicated that the failed assault was coordinated by four senior ISWAP commanders alongside the three foreign terrorist facilitators.
Goni said the findings reinforced intelligence reports suggesting that the group continues to receive external support, specialist expertise and maintain transnational terrorist links.
The statement also noted that the terrorists’ attempt to steal cholera medical supplies appeared to support recent intelligence indicating an outbreak of the disease within insurgent camps.
According to the military, satellite imagery and human intelligence gathered after the battle showed insurgents evacuating the bodies of some of their fighters, while several others were believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.
Two soldiers sustained injuries during the encounter and were airlifted to a medical facility for advanced treatment, the statement added.
