By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
The Nigerian military has announced the killing of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) propaganda operative, Abu Salim al-Barnawi, alongside two other members of the terrorist group’s mobile media team during a failed attack on troops in Borno State.
Operation HADIN KAI disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Acting Military Information Officer, Capt. Mohammed Goni, saying the terrorists were eliminated during a failed infiltration of a military position at Cross Kauwa on July 12, 2026.
According to the military, Abu Salim, who was formerly a Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander, later became the group’s chief photographer and propaganda operative responsible for documenting attacks and producing recruitment materials.
Also killed during the operation were two other media operatives identified as Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman.
The military said troops recovered a video camera believed to have been used by the media team, alongside other items from the scene of the encounter.
It added that ISWAP had since acknowledged Abu Salim’s death by publishing an obituary, which it described as confirmation of the military’s successful operation.
The statement noted that intelligence reports showed Abu Salim had previously led cross-border attacks into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media wing, where he produced photographs and videos aimed at glorifying terrorist activities, spreading extremist propaganda and recruiting new members.
Operation HADIN KAI further revealed that several other high-profile fighters were killed during the July 12 operation, including a Syrian national and a Quaid identified as Aliyu Zabarmari, while another foreign mercenary remains missing.
It added that several terrorists sustained injuries while fleeing under sustained military pressure after the failed attack.
The military said the operation had significantly weakened ISWAP’s operational and propaganda capabilities by eliminating experienced operatives and disrupting its media network.
“The loss of such seasoned operatives further degrades the terrorists’ operational capability, weakens their propaganda apparatus, erodes their command structure and diminishes their ability to spread extremist narratives and fabricate an illusion of strength,” the statement said.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-led offensive operations to eliminate the remaining Boko Haram and ISWAP elements, dismantle their support and propaganda networks, and restore lasting peace and security across the North-East.