The US has resumed information, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over Nigeria, just days after conducting airstrikes against Islamic State forces in Sokoto State.
Brandon Philip, a Sahel-focused terrorism expert, revealed on Saturday, December 27, that a US aircraft was seen flying over regions of northeastern Nigeria, including Borno state. Flight tracking data identified the aircraft as a Gulfstream V jet, which is regularly used for long-range ISR missions.
According to Philip, the renewed surveillance is aimed at the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which operates in Nigeria’s north-east and the Lake Chad Basin.
He stated that ISR missions resumed after a one-day halt following the Sokoto strikes, with activities apparently focusing on the Sambisa Forest in Borno State.
According to flight records, US intelligence missions over Nigeria began on November 24, shortly after the aircraft flew from Ghana, a significant supplies hub for US military activities in West Africa.
Since then, the plane has apparently flown over Nigerian territory practically daily.
The aircraft is associated with Tenax Aerospace, a business noted for delivering speciality aviation services to the United States military.
When the surveillance missions first began, a former US official stated that they were partly intended to track down an American pilot kidnapped in nearby Niger, as well as gather intelligence on extremist organisations operating in Nigeria.
The resumption of ISR efforts comes after recent high-level security meetings in Washington between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The conference occurred amid growing security worries and threats from former US President Donald Trump about terrorism and bloodshed in Nigeria.
Following the talks, Hegseth stated that the US Department of Defence would work closely with Nigeria to address security challenges, particularly Islamist assaults.
Trump has since signalling that additional military action may follow the initial bombings on Sokoto, implying a more protracted phase of US involvement in the region.
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