US resumes surveillance of Sambisa forest — after air strikes in Sokoto

The United States resumed intelligence and surveillance operations in Nigeria on Saturday, following late Thursday’s strikes on ISIS terrorists in Sokoto.

Brant Philip, a Sahel-focused terrorism tracker, shared flight tracking data that showed the aircraft flying over Borno state.

The aircraft was a Gulfstream V, a long-range business jet often modified for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, according to the data.

Philip said Saturday’s intelligence operations focused on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the ISIS affiliate in Nigeria, which operates primarily in the north-east and Lake Chad basin.

“The United States resumed ISR operations today on ISWAP in the Sambisa forest, Borno state in northeast Nigeria, after a pause of one day following the strikes in Sokoto state,” he tweeted on X.

Flight tracking data showed that the US began intelligence operations in Nigeria on November 24 after taking off from Ghana, a hub for the American military’s logistics network in Africa.

The aircraft has flown over Nigeria almost daily since the start of the mission.

Flight tracking data linked the operator to Tenax Aerospace, a special mission aircraft provider which works closely with the US military.

At the time the operations began, a former US official said the missions include tracking an American pilot who was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger Republic and gathering intelligence on militant groups operating in Nigeria.

The intelligence operations in Nigeria took off days after Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), met Pete Hegseth, US defence secretary, in Washington over President Donald Trump’s military intervention threats.

After the meeting, Hegseth said his department would work “aggressively” with Nigeria to end the alleged “persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists”.

Thursday night was the first of the threat’s fulfilment. Trump said more strikes would follow.(the cable)