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Nigerian soldiers have killed the chief photographer of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abu Salim al-Barnawi.
The Acting Military Information Officer of the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation Hadin Kai, Mohammed Goni, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the terrorist group had acknowledged al-Barnawi’s death by publishing an obituary, describing it as confirmation of a significant loss within its ranks.
According to him, Abu Salim al-Barnawi was an ISWAP commander who rose up the ranks to become one of the group’s chief media operatives.
Abu Salim was killed alongside other members of ISWAP’s mobile media team, including Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman, during the failed assault on troops at Cross Kauwa on July 12.
“Operation HADIN KAI has confirmed the elimination of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, a notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander turned chief photographer and propaganda operative, during the failed terrorist attack on a military location last week,” the statement read.
Goni added that further reports confirmed Abu Salim was eliminated alongside other members of the ISWAP mobile media team, including Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman.
The military said a video camera used by the media team was among items recovered after the operation.
“Intelligence indicates that Abu Salim al-Barnawi previously led cross-border terrorist raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media wing, where he was responsible for photographing and filming terrorist attacks, producing propaganda, and glorifying the group’s atrocities in an attempt to recruit impressionable individuals and deceive the public,” Goni said.
The military said the deaths of the media operatives revealed the impact of ongoing offensives against Boko Haram and ISWAP.
“During the failed attack, troops inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists, eliminating several high-profile fighters, including a Syrian Arab, a Quaid named Aliyu Zabarmari, while another Arab mercenary remains missing till date. Several other key fighters sustained severe injuries as they fled under intense military pressure,” the military said.
Operation Hadin Kai said the loss of experienced operatives would weaken ISWAP’s command structure and propaganda capability.
“His elimination is another clear demonstration that the sustained offensive operations of Operation HADIN KAI are yielding tangible results. The loss of such seasoned operatives further degrades the terrorists’ operational capability, weakens their propaganda apparatus, erodes their command structure, and diminishes their ability to spread extremist narratives and fabricate an illusion of strength,” Goni added.
“The issuance of an obituary by the terrorist group is a direct confirmation of the increasing pressure being exerted by Operation HADIN KAI. It also reflects the growing difficulty the terrorists face in replacing experienced operatives who have been systematically eliminated through sustained military operations.”
The military vowed to continue intelligence-led operations aimed at dismantling Boko Haram and ISWAP networks across Nigeria’s North-East.
OPERATION HADIN KAI ELIMINATES ISWAP CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER, OTHERS AND FURTHER DEGRADES TERRORIST PROPAGANDA NETWORK
Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has confirmed the elimination of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, a notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander turned chief photographer and… pic.twitter.com/IOP9kPt4rC
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) July 22, 2026
