BY: ABDULKADIR M LAWAN, JULY 22, 2026/ 03:30PM
Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK has confirmed the elimination of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, a notorious Boko Haram/ISWAP raid commander turned chief photographer and propaganda operative, during a failed terrorist attack in Cross Kauwa last week.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Captain Mohammed Goni, OPHK's spokesman , Abu Salim was killed on 12 July 2026 alongside other members of the ISWAP mobile media team, including Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman.
The military said the terrorists were eliminated during a failed infiltration attempt on a military location.
A video camera was also recovered among other items, as earlier stated in an OPHK official statement.
Intelligence indicates that Abu Salim al-Barnawi previously led cross-border terrorist raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to the group’s media wing.
In that role, he was responsible for photographing and filming terrorist attacks and producing propaganda aimed at recruitment and deceiving the public.
The statement added that troops inflicted heavy casualties during the encounter, eliminating several other high-profile fighters, including a Syrian Arab and a Quaid named Aliyu Zabarmari.
Another Arab mercenary remains missing, while several other fighters sustained severe injuries as they fled.
The terrorist group has since acknowledged Abu Salim’s death through the publication of an obituary, which the military described as further confirmation of the pressure on the group.
OPHK said the elimination of the media team degrades the terrorists’ propaganda apparatus, erodes their command structure, and diminishes their ability to spread extremist narratives and fabricate an illusion of strength.
The theatre said it remains resolute in sustaining intelligence-driven offensive operations to hunt down remnants of Boko Haram and ISWAP, dismantle their support and propaganda networks, and ensure the restoration of peace and security across the North East.