Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Boko Haram has released a video obituary for one of its cameramen and videographers, Abu Salim al-Barnawi, who was killed during a failed attack on a Nigerian military position in Borno State.
The three-minute video, obtained on Wednesday, is narrated in Arabic and shows al-Barnawi filming and participating in several operations carried out by the terrorist group.
According to the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, the deceased fighter had previously led raids into Cameroon before joining the group’s media unit.
Goni said the video was accompanied by a message identifying al-Barnawi as a raid commander and videographer within the insurgent group.
“He was the cameraman. He previously led raids into Cameroon before joining the media wing of the terrorist group,” the military officer said.
The development comes days after troops of Operation Hadin Kai repelled an attempted infiltration by Islamic State West Africa Province fighters in Cross Kauwa, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Goni said the insurgents tried to take advantage of darkness to penetrate the troops’ position and loot cholera medical supplies but were successfully thwarted.
He added that the operation led to the killing of the cameraman and the recovery of a Sony camcorder, terrorist uniforms, ammunition and other combat materials.
The military had earlier disclosed that video materials recovered during the operation indicated the presence of three foreign facilitators linked to the terrorist group, including a Palestinian identified as a trainer and a Moroccan serving as a medical doctor.
