The Nigerian military says it has uncovered fresh evidence of foreign involvement in the activities of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the recovery of video recordings from a slain insurgent during a failed attack in Borno State.
The discovery was made after troops of Operation Hadin Kai repelled an attempted infiltration of Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area on Saturday night, killing several insurgents and recovering equipment believed to belong to the terrorist group.
Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that one of the terrorists killed during the encounter was an ISWAP cameraman whose Sony camcorder contained footage considered valuable for intelligence purposes.
According to Goni, an initial forensic review of the recordings revealed the involvement of three foreign nationals occupying strategic positions within the terrorist organisation.
Among those identified was a Palestinian known as Abu Ishaq, who is believed to serve as the group's chief trainer. The footage also reportedly exposed the role of a Moroccan identified as Abu Thaiba, said to be a medical doctor providing healthcare services to members of the insurgent network.
The military said a third Arab operative featured in the recordings, although efforts to establish his identity are still ongoing.
“The neutralisation of a terrorist cameraman during the failed assault led to the recovery of a Sony camcorder containing highly sensitive recordings of terrorist activities, including operational footage and propaganda materials,” Goni stated.
He added that the findings reinforce intelligence assessments indicating that ISWAP continues to receive support from foreign elements through specialised expertise and transnational terrorist connections.
The attempted attack occurred at about 10:20 p.m. on July 11 when the insurgents allegedly sought to exploit darkness to penetrate the military position and seize cholera-related medical supplies.
However, troops stationed in the area reportedly detected the movement early and engaged the attackers with sustained firepower, forcing them to retreat after suffering significant casualties.
Military authorities said the attempted theft of medical supplies lends credibility to intelligence reports suggesting a cholera outbreak within some ISWAP camps. The reports also indicated that the group may have executed some infected members in a bid to contain the disease.
Following the engagement, troops launched exploitation operations around the area to assess the extent of the terrorists’ losses and recover abandoned items.
Recovered materials included the Sony camcorder, quantities of PKT ammunition, 7.62mm special rounds, terrorist uniforms and other combat gear.
The military further disclosed that satellite imagery obtained after the operation showed insurgents evacuating bodies from the battlefield during their retreat. Human intelligence sources later corroborated the assessment, indicating that several fighters were killed while many others sustained gunshot wounds.
Despite the successful operation, two soldiers were wounded during the exchange of fire. The Army said both personnel were evacuated by air to a medical facility for treatment and remain in stable condition.
Goni described the failed attack as another major setback for ISWAP, noting that recent offensive operations by troops across the North-East have continued to weaken the group’s operational capability.
He said the latest development highlighted the increasing difficulty insurgents face in carrying out coordinated attacks against military formations and reaffirmed the commitment of Operation Hadin Kai to sustaining pressure on terrorist groups operating in the region.
According to him, troops will continue offensive and stabilisation operations aimed at dismantling terrorist networks, protecting communities and restoring lasting peace across the North-East.
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