Troops repel ISWAP raid in Borno, kill cameraman, unveil foreign trainer, doctor
Abdullateef Fowewe
Troops of 19 Brigade, Sector 3, Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), on Saturday night thwarted an attempted infiltration by ISWAP fighters into Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area, Borno State, inflicting heavy casualties and forcing the attackers to withdraw in disarray.
The attack according to a statement obtained from the Nigerian Army on Sunday unfolded at about 2220 hours on 11 July 2026, when insurgents sought to use the cover of darkness to breach a military position.
Alert troops detected the movement and “responded with coordinated and overwhelming firepower,” the military said, adding that the assailants abandoned plans to loot cholera medical supplies and retreated after suffering severe losses.
A neutralised ISWAP cameraman yielded a Sony camcorder containing “highly sensitive recordings of terrorist activities, including operational footage and propaganda materials.”
Preliminary forensic review of the footage reportedly links the operation to four senior ISWAP commanders (Qai’ds) and three foreign facilitators identified by military sources as a Palestinian, Abu Ishaq, assessed to be ISWAP’s overall trainer; a Moroccan, Abu Thaiba, described as a medical doctor inside the network and another Arab operative whose identity remains unconfirmed.
The military said troops recovered the camcorder, rounds of PKT and 7.62 mm Special ammunition, terrorist uniforms and other combat enablers during exploitation of the area.
Post-engagement satellite imagery and human intelligence sources indicate that ISWAP evacuated some dead fighters while withdrawing.
Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds and were air-evacuated for advanced care both are in stable condition.
The statement framed the operation as a significant setback for the insurgent group, noting that the failed infiltration “caps a costly weekend for the terrorist group” and demonstrates the troops’ “vigilance, combat readiness and operational effectiveness.”
Operation HADIN KAI reiterated its intent to sustain offensive operations to protect
