By Olayemi Esan
Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has confirmed the elimination of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, a notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander who later became the terrorist group’s chief photographer and propaganda operative, in what the military described as another major blow to the insurgents’ operational and media network.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Maiduguri, Abu Salim was killed during the failed terrorist attack on a military location last week.
The military also confirmed that Abu Salim was eliminated alongside other members of the ISWAP mobile media team, including Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman.
Captain Goni recalled that troops recovered a video camera among several items seized during the operation, as earlier disclosed in an official OPHK statement, further confirming the presence of the terrorists’ media operatives during the failed assault.
According to the statement, the terrorist group has now publicly acknowledged Abu Salim’s death through the publication of an obituary, a development the military said exposes another significant loss within the group’s increasingly depleted ranks.
Intelligence reports revealed that Abu Salim al-Barnawi previously led cross-border terrorist raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media wing, where he coordinated the filming and photography of terrorist attacks, produced propaganda materials, and glorified the group’s atrocities in an effort to recruit vulnerable individuals and mislead the public.
The military noted that the elimination of Abu Salim and his media team during the failed infiltration attempt at Cross Kauwa on 12 July 2026 underscores the effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI’s sustained offensive operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP.
During the encounter, troops inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists, killing several high-profile fighters, including a Syrian national and a Quaid identified as Aliyu Zabarmari, while another Arab mercenary remains missing. Several other senior fighters reportedly sustained serious injuries as they fled under intense military pressure.
The statement described the successful operation as further evidence that the military’s sustained offensive campaign is producing measurable results by degrading the terrorists’ operational capability, weakening their propaganda machinery, disrupting their command structure, and limiting their ability to spread extremist narratives and project an illusion of strength.
“The issuance of an obituary by the terrorist group is a direct confirmation of the increasing pressure being exerted by Operation HADIN KAI,” the statement said.
“It also reflects the growing difficulty the terrorists face in replacing experienced operatives who have been systematically eliminated through sustained military operations. As their ranks continue to shrink and their propaganda machinery deteriorates, the group’s capacity to inspire, recruit, and coordinate attacks is steadily being eroded.”
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining intelligence-led offensive operations aimed at eliminating the remaining Boko Haram and ISWAP elements, dismantling their support and propaganda networks, denying them freedom of action, and restoring lasting peace and security across the North-East.
