American military aircraft are conducting reconnaissance and strike operations targeting armed groups operating along the Benin-Nigeria border, according to security sources familiar with the mission.
Bryant Philip, an American security analyst specializing in West African security issues, confirmed that U.S. Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft are currently flying missions over the strategic Babana crossing point on the Benin-Nigeria border. He noted that militant groups, particularly Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), have historically used this route for smuggling operations. Nigerian army forces engaged unidentified gunmen in the area in August.
The U.S. has resumed ISR missions in Nigeria focusing on areas of Borno State in the northeast where Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operates near Lake Chad. The aircraft are reportedly operating from Accra, Ghana, rather than Nigerian airports.
In related developments, Nigerian Army special forces recently conducted operations against Boko Haram positions in remote forest areas, reportedly killing dozens of militants.
Regional Response to Benin Coup Attempt
Following a failed coup attempt in Benin Republic, approximately 200 West African troops—primarily from Nigeria and Ivory Coast—remain deployed in the country to support the government, according to Benin’s Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari.
The coup attempt was thwarted after Nigerian fighter jets helped drive mutineers from a military base and state television headquarters where they had attempted to declare a takeover.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Bakari said the regional forces are participating in security operations following the failed putsch. He indicated the coup had already been defeated by Beninese forces before regional assistance arrived, with the intervention primarily providing aerial support for targeted operations.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar credited swift diplomatic, military, and intelligence coordination between Nigeria and Benin for helping to foil the coup attempt.
The regional response reflects ECOWAS’s strengthened stance against military takeovers after several successful coups across West Africa in recent years. Bakari described ECOWAS as an essential mechanism for defending democratic governance in the region.
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Benin faces security challenges along its northern border with Niger and Burkina Faso, where jihadist groups affiliated with Islamic State and al-Qaeda have expanded their operations southward in recent years.
President Patrice Talon, considered a Western ally, is scheduled to step down next year after completing his second term, with elections planned for April.
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