Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have confirmed the death of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, a senior Boko Haram/ISWAP commander who had become the terrorist group's chief photographer and propaganda operative, during a failed attack on a military location last week.
Military officials said Abu Salim was killed alongside two other members of the group's media team, identified as Abu Umar Khattab and Abu Khalid Usman, when troops repelled an infiltration attempt at Cross Kauwa on July 12. A video camera was among the items recovered from the scene.
The terrorist group has since published an obituary acknowledging his death, a development the military says highlights the mounting losses within the group's ranks.
According to military intelligence, Abu Salim previously led cross-border raids into Cameroon before being reassigned to lead the group's media operations. In that role, he was responsible for filming attacks and producing propaganda material used to recruit new members and spread the group's narrative to the public.
Troops said the July 12 clash also claimed the lives of several other prominent fighters, including a foreign national of Syrian origin and a local commander identified as Aliyu Zabarmari. Another foreign fighter remains unaccounted for, while a number of terrorists fled the scene with serious injuries after coming under heavy military pressure.
Military authorities described the operation as further evidence that sustained offensive campaigns against the insurgency are producing results, weakening the group's fighting capacity, propaganda machinery, and command structure.
They added that the group's public acknowledgment of the deaths reflects the growing difficulty it faces replacing experienced fighters as losses continue to mount.
Operation HADIN KAI said it remains committed to continuing intelligence-led operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP remnants in the North East, with the aim of dismantling their networks and restoring lasting peace to the region.