Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have intensified counterterrorism operations in Borno State after repelling a failed ISWAP attack on Cross Kauwa in Kukawa Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a suspected Moroccan ISIS-linked operative.
Military sources said troops recovered high-frequency communication radios abandoned by fleeing terrorists during follow-up operations. In a separate operation on the Lake Chad Islands in Abadam LGA, soldiers apprehended the suspected foreign operative.
According to security sources, the suspect was identified through forensic analysis of footage retrieved from a camcorder recovered from a neutralised terrorist cameraman, with assistance from international partners. The footage allegedly linked him to terrorist operations in the North-East.
The suspect was subsequently airlifted by the Nigerian Air Force to a secure facility for interrogation as investigators work to uncover ISWAP’s alleged foreign support network.
Recounting an earlier operation in Alagarno, a soldier said troops encountered foreign fighters among the insurgents and discovered fortified camps containing hard currencies, brand-new vehicles, weapons, sophisticated gadgets and other supplies before air support helped repel a renewed terrorist offensive.
Military authorities described the arrest as a major intelligence breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle ISWAP’s operational and foreign support networks.