Nigerian troops have killed an alleged Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) cameraman and recovered video recordings that the military says reveal the involvement of foreign operatives, including a Palestinian and a Moroccan, in the insurgent group’s activities in north-east Nigeria.
According to the military, the footage was recovered after soldiers of Operation Hadin Kai repelled an attempted night-time assault on a military position in Cross Kauwa, Kukawa local government area of Borno State, late on Saturday.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the acting military information officer for the Joint Task Force North-East, Capt Muhammed Goni, said the militants had attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to overrun the position and seize cholera medical supplies.
Alerted to the movement, troops opened what the military described as “coordinated and overwhelming firepower”, forcing the attackers to retreat while leaving behind casualties and equipment.
Among those killed, Goni said, was an individual identified as an ISWAP cameraman. Soldiers recovered a Sony camcorder that allegedly contained operational footage and propaganda material.
The military said a preliminary forensic review of the recordings suggested the failed assault had been coordinated by four senior ISWAP commanders alongside three foreign nationals.
According to the statement, the individuals include a Palestinian identified as Abu Ishaq, whom the military described as the group’s principal trainer, and a Moroccan known as Abu Thaiba, who was said to be serving as a medical doctor within the insurgent network. A third Arabic-speaking operative featured in the footage has yet to be identified.
If confirmed, the findings would add to longstanding concerns among Nigerian security agencies that ISWAP continues to receive external support, specialist expertise and logistical assistance through transnational extremist networks.
The military said the attempted theft of cholera supplies also appeared to support recent intelligence assessments that disease had spread through insurgent camps, with reports suggesting some infected fighters had been executed by the group.
Following the firefight, troops carried out clearance operations across the area, recovering ammunition, military-style uniforms and other combat equipment in addition to the camera.
Initial satellite imagery reviewed after the operation, the military said, appeared to show militants removing the bodies of dead fighters during their withdrawal. It added that the assessment had been corroborated by human intelligence sources reporting heavy casualties and multiple gunshot wounds among surviving attackers.
Two Nigerian soldiers were wounded during the engagement and evacuated by air for specialist treatment. Both are in stable condition, according to the military.
The army described the failed raid as another operational setback for ISWAP following sustained offensives across the north-east, arguing that mounting military pressure was limiting the group’s ability to conduct coordinated attacks.
“Operation Hadin Kai remains resolute in sustaining offensive operations, protecting vulnerable communities and dismantling terrorist networks until lasting peace and security is restored across the North-East,” Goni said.
The military’s claims regarding the identities and roles of the alleged foreign operatives have not been independently verified. However, the reported discovery is likely to intensify scrutiny of the regional and international connections that have enabled Islamist insurgencies in the Lake Chad basin to endure despite years of military campaigns by Nigeria and its regional allies.
