Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have arrested a suspected terrorist believed to have links with ISIS during intensified counterterrorism operations in Borno State following a failed ISWAP attack on Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area.
Military sources disclosed that the troops recovered High Frequency Handheld (HHR) radios abandoned by fleeing ISWAP fighters during follow-up operations after the attack.
In a separate operation on the Lake Chad Islands in Abadam Local Government Area, troops apprehended a fleeing Arab suspect believed to be a Moroccan national with alleged ties to ISIS.
According to security sources, the suspect was identified through forensic analysis of a camcorder recovered from a neutralised terrorist cameraman.
“The analysis, conducted in collaboration with international partners, linked the suspect to the Cross Kauwa attack,” the sources said.
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“The suspect was identified through forensic exploitation conducted in collaboration with international partners after troops recovered a camcorder from the battlefield during the Cross Kauwa attack. The device, believed to have belonged to a neutralised terrorist cameraman, contained video footage that led to the suspect’s identification,” security sources said.
The suspect was subsequently airlifted by a Nigerian Air Force helicopter to a secure facility for further interrogation.
Military authorities described the arrest as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle ISWAP’s foreign support network and disrupt terrorist operations within the Lake Chad region.
“The arrest represents a significant milestone in the ongoing campaign to weaken ISWAP’s operational capabilities and cut off its international support network,” the military authorities stated.
