The United States has resumed intelligence and surveillance operations over parts of Nigeria, days after carrying out air strikes on Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Sokoto State.
Gatekeepers News reports that flight tracking information on Saturday showed a US-linked aircraft identified as Gulfstream V, conducting surveillance over Borno State, particularly around the Sambisa forest area.
A Sahel-based terrorism tracker, Brant Philip, said the renewed operation was focused on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the ISIS affiliate active in Nigeria’s north-east and the Lake Chad region.
He wrote on X, “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.”
Data from flight tracking platforms indicated that the surveillance flights began in late November after the aircraft departed from Ghana, which serves as a key logistics base for the US military in Africa. Since then, the aircraft has reportedly flown over Nigeria on a near-daily basis.
Further checks linked the aircraft operator to Tenax Aerospace, a company known for providing special mission aircraft in support of US military operations. Security sources said the flights are part of broader intelligence efforts targeting extremist groups operating in Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.
The renewed surveillance comes amid increased security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States, following recent discussions between senior officials of both countries on counterterrorism and regional stability.
