The United States has reactivated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over northeastern Nigeria within 48 hours of a coordinated aerial assault against Islamic State-affiliated militants in Sokoto State.
Flight-tracking information published by terrorism analyst Brant Philip indicates that a Gulfstream V aircraft—commonly adapted for ISR operations—was detected over Borno State on Saturday. Philip noted the flights focused on tracking the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), ISIS’s Nigerian branch operating throughout the northeast and Lake Chad region.
The surveillance resumption followed Friday’s precision strikes conducted by US and Nigerian forces in the Bauni forest within Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State. Information Minister Mohammed Idris reported that 16 GPS-guided munitions were launched from MQ-9 Reaper drones, targeting two ISIS-linked camps housing foreign fighters and local recruits attempting to enter Nigeria from the Sahel.
Government officials emphasized that President Bola Tinubu authorized the operation, which Nigerian Armed Forces executed through established command channels. Authorities maintained no civilians were harmed during the strikes.
Spent munition fragments were recovered in Jabo, Sokoto, and near an Offa hotel in Kwara State, though officials confirmed security personnel had cordoned off these locations. Sokoto State authorities expressed support for the counter-terrorism action.
Security observers suggest the strikes demonstrate deepening cooperation between Abuja and Washington as transnational extremist threats expand across West Africa. The resumed ISR operations over Sambisa Forest accompany sustained efforts to monitor and weaken ISWAP’s operational capacity, with reports indicating the US utilizes Ghana as a staging point for intelligence flights.
While the continued aerial monitoring signals strengthened strategic partnership, questions have emerged from some quarters regarding target selection and foreign participation in Nigeria’s domestic security matters.
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