Operation HADIN KAI says it has dealt another major blow to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) with the elimination of one of the group’s top propaganda operatives, Abu Salim al-Barnawi, during a failed attack on a military location in Borno State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the military said Abu Salim, a former raid commander who later became the terrorist group’s chief photographer and propaganda operative, was killed alongside other members of ISWAP’s mobile media team during the failed infiltration of troops’ position at Cross Kauwa on July 12, 2026.
According to the military, those killed included Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman, while a video camera used by the media team was recovered from the scene during the operation.
Operation HADIN KAI said intelligence reports indicate that Abu Salim previously led cross-border terrorist raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media unit, where he coordinated the production of photographs and videos of attacks, propaganda materials, and recruitment content aimed at promoting the terrorist organisation’s activities.
The military added that the terrorists have now publicly acknowledged his death by issuing an obituary, describing the move as confirmation of the significant losses the group has suffered from ongoing military operations.
The statement further disclosed that troops inflicted heavy casualties during the failed attack, killing several senior fighters, including a Syrian national and an ISWAP commander identified as Aliyu Zabarmari. Another foreign fighter described as an Arab mercenary is reportedly still missing, while several other terrorists sustained injuries as they retreated under sustained military pressure.
Operation HADIN KAI said the elimination of the media team is expected to weaken the group’s propaganda machinery, disrupt its command structure, and reduce its ability to recruit new members and coordinate attacks.
The military reaffirmed its commitment to sustained intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling Boko Haram and ISWAP networks, destroying their operational and propaganda capabilities, and restoring lasting peace and security across the North-East.