Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed an Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) cameraman and recovered sensitive multimedia materials containing intelligence on the activities of foreign terrorist collaborators during a failed attack on military positions in Borno State.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to the statement, troops decisively foiled an attempted infiltration by ISWAP terrorists into Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents and forcing them to retreat.
Goni said the attack occurred at about 10:20 p.m. on July 11, 2026, when the terrorists attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to overrun the troops’ location.
He explained that vigilant soldiers detected the hostile movement early and responded with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, frustrating what he described as the terrorists’ mission to loot cholera medical supplies.
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“Alert troops swiftly detected the hostile movement and responded with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, compelling the terrorists to abandon their mission of looting cholera medical supplies and withdraw in confusion after suffering severe losses,” he said.
The military spokesman disclosed that the elimination of an ISWAP cameraman during the exchange of fire led to the recovery of a Sony camcorder containing highly sensitive operational footage and propaganda materials.
He said preliminary forensic analysis of the recordings indicated that the failed operation was coordinated by four senior ISWAP commanders (Qai’ds) alongside three foreign terrorist facilitators.
According to Goni, those identified include a Palestinian identified as Abu Ishaq, believed to be ISWAP’s chief trainer; a Moroccan identified as Abu Thaiba, described as a medical doctor serving within the terrorist network; and another Arab operative whose identity has yet to be established.
“The presence and active involvement of these foreign nationals further reinforces intelligence assessments that ISWAP continues to benefit from external support, specialist expertise and transnational terrorist linkages,” he said.
During exploitation operations after the battle, troops recovered several rounds of PKT ammunition, 7.62mm Special ammunition, terrorist uniforms and other combat equipment abandoned by the fleeing insurgents.
The military also revealed that preliminary analysis of post-engagement satellite imagery showed terrorists evacuating the bodies of some of their slain fighters during their withdrawal.
According to the statement, this assessment was later corroborated by credible human intelligence sources, which confirmed that the insurgents suffered heavy casualties while several others sustained gunshot wounds during the confrontation.
Goni, however, disclosed that two soldiers sustained gunshot injuries during the firefight and were immediately evacuated by air for advanced medical treatment.
He said both personnel remain in stable condition.
The military described the failed infiltration as another major operational setback for ISWAP, noting that it capped what it described as a costly weekend for the terrorist group following sustained offensive operations and intensified military pressure across the North-East theatre.