By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have successfully repelled an infiltration attempt by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Cross Kauwa, Borno State, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers, military authorities said Sunday.
The attack occurred at approximately 10:20 p.m. on Saturday when terrorists attempted to exploit darkness to breach the military location in Kukawa Local Government Area, according to a statement by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer for the Joint Task Force.
Alert troops detected the hostile movement and responded with coordinated firepower, forcing the terrorists to abandon their mission and retreat in disarray, the military said.
According to intelligence reports, the terrorists had intended to loot cholera medical supplies from the area—a development that lends credence to recent intelligence indicating a cholera outbreak within terrorist enclaves, including reports of executions of affected members by the group.
In a significant development, troops neutralized a terrorist cameraman during the engagement, recovering a Sony camcorder containing sensitive recordings of terrorist activities, operational footage, and propaganda materials.
Preliminary forensic analysis of the last recorded video has revealed that the operation was coordinated by four senior ISWAP commanders alongside three foreign terrorist facilitators, the military said.
The identified foreign nationals include a Palestinian Arab identified as Abu Ishaq, assessed to be ISWAP’s overall trainer, and a Moroccan Arab identified as Abu Thaiba, a medical doctor serving within the terrorist network. A third Arab operative remains unidentified.
The presence of these foreign nationals reinforces intelligence assessments that ISWAP continues to benefit from external support and transnational terrorist linkages, according to the statement.
Following the engagement, troops dominated the area and conducted exploitation operations, recovering the Sony camcorder, several rounds of PKT and 7.62 mm ammunition, terrorist uniforms, and other combat enablers.
Post-engagement satellite imagery analysis revealed terrorists evacuating bodies of their neutralised fighters during withdrawal, which was corroborated by human intelligence sources confirming heavy casualties among the attackers.
Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds during the firefight and were promptly evacuated by air for advanced medical care. Both remain in stable condition.
The failed infiltration represents another significant setback for ISWAP, capping a costly weekend for the terrorist group following sustained offensive operations across the North East Theatre, the military said.
Operation HADIN KAI remains committed to sustaining offensive operations, protecting vulnerable communities, and dismantling terrorist networks, Captain Goni added.
