US resumes surveillance of Sambisa Forest after airstrikes
Story by Tawheed Yakub
The United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over the Sambisa Forest in Borno State following recent airstrikes on suspected terrorist targets in Sokoto State.
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Security analysts and flight-tracking data indicate that the surveillance flights, conducted with a Gulfstream V aircraft modified for long-range ISR missions, restarted after a brief pause. The renewed operations are believed to be focused on monitoring the activities of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which maintains strongholds in the Sambisa Forest and surrounding areas.
Reports suggest that the surveillance resumed shortly after airstrikes targeted suspected extremist camps in the Bauni Forest area of Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto State. The strikes were aimed at disrupting militant networks and limiting their operational capacity.
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The ISR missions are said to originate from Ghana, which serves as a logistics hub, with aircraft conducting near-daily monitoring flights across parts of northern Nigeria. The intelligence gathered is expected to support counter-terrorism coordination with Nigerian security forces.
Security experts say the renewed surveillance underscores heightened international attention on militant movements in Nigeria’s North-East and North-West regions, as authorities intensify efforts to curb insurgency and banditry threatening national and regional security.
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