OPERATION HADIN KAI ELIMINATES ISWAP PROPAGANDA CHIEF, DISMANTLES MOBILE MEDIA TEAM

Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) says it has eliminated Abu Salim al Barnawi, a senior Boko Haram/ISWAP operative who reportedly headed the terrorist group's mobile media team, during the failed attack on a military position at Cross Kauwa in Borno State.

Military authorities disclosed that Abu Salim was killed alongside two other members of the group's media unit, identified as Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman, during the unsuccessful assault on 12 July 2026. The military added that a video camera was recovered at the scene, corroborating an earlier operational report issued after the encounter.

According to Operation HADIN KAI, the terrorist organisation has since acknowledged Abu Salim's death through an obituary circulated within its network, a development the military describes as confirmation of the success of the operation.

Intelligence reports indicate that Abu Salim previously served as a raid commander, leading cross border attacks into neighbouring Cameroon before he was reassigned to the group's propaganda unit. In that role, he was responsible for documenting terrorist attacks, producing photographs and videos, and generating propaganda materials intended to support recruitment, disseminate extremist narratives, and project the group's operational strength.

The military stated that the elimination of the mobile media team represents more than a battlefield success. From a counterterrorism standpoint, propaganda units constitute a strategic component of terrorist organisations, serving as instruments for recruitment, fundraising, psychological operations, and information warfare. Disrupting such structures can weaken an organisation's ability to influence supporters, attract new recruits, and sustain its ideological campaign.

Operation HADIN KAI also disclosed that the failed Cross Kauwa attack resulted in the deaths of several other senior terrorist operatives, including a Syrian national and a commander identified as Aliyu Zabarmari, while another foreign fighter remains unaccounted for. Several other insurgents reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds after coming under sustained military fire.

Military authorities believe the repeated elimination of experienced commanders, foreign fighters, and media personnel is steadily degrading the operational effectiveness of Boko Haram and ISWAP by weakening their command system, reducing their propaganda capability, and limiting their capacity to coordinate attacks.

The issuance of an obituary by the terrorist group, according to the military, reflects the mounting pressure being exerted through sustained intelligence led operations and the growing difficulty of replacing experienced operatives lost during recent engagements.

Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining offensive operations across the North East, targeting terrorist fighters, logistics networks, financiers, and propaganda cells as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the remaining Boko Haram and ISWAP structures and restore lasting peace and security across the region.