Troops of ‘Operation HaÉ—in Kai‘ have dealt a crushing blow to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters after repelling a daring night-time assault on a military position in Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering a camcorder said to contain sensitive operational footage that has revealed the involvement of foreign terrorist facilitators.
The military said the attempted infiltration of Cross Kauwa, in Kukawa local government area was thwarted on Saturday night as alert troops of the 19 Brigade, Sector 3 of the Joint Task Force North-East unleashed overwhelming firepower that forced the terrorists to retreat with heavy casualties.
According to the military, the attack occurred at about 10:20 p.m. on July 11 when the insurgents attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to overrun the troops’ location. However, the soldiers detected the advancing terrorists early and engaged them in a fierce firefight, disrupting what the military described as a mission to loot cholera-related medical supplies from the community.
Military authorities said the failed attempt appeared to reinforce recent intelligence suggesting a cholera outbreak within ISWAP enclaves, with reports indicating that some infected members of the group had allegedly been executed by fellow terrorists.
One of the most significant recoveries from the encounter was a Sony camcorder found on a neutralised terrorist cameraman. According to preliminary forensic findings, the device contained operational recordings and propaganda materials that have provided fresh intelligence on the group’s command structure and foreign links.
The analysis reportedly identified four senior ISWAP commanders involved in planning the failed operation alongside three foreign terrorist facilitators. Among those identified were a Palestinian identified as Abu Is’haq, described as ISWAP’s chief trainer, a Moroccan identified as Abu Thaiba, said to be a medical doctor working within the terrorist network, and another unidentified Arab operative.
The military said the findings further strengthened intelligence assessments that the terrorist group continues to receive external support, specialised expertise and transnational assistance.
Initial satellite imagery and credible human intelligence also indicated that fleeing terrorists were forced to evacuate the bodies of several of their slain fighters, while many others escaped with gunshot wounds. Although two soldiers sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange, they were immediately evacuated by air for advanced medical treatment and were reported to be in stable condition.
The military described the failed assault as another major operational setback for ISWAP, coming amid sustained offensive operations that have continued to erode the group’s fighting capability across the North-East.
