The United States has resumed aerial intelligence and surveillance operations over Nigeria days after conducting precision strikes against suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Sokoto State, signalling a deeper phase of cooperation between Washington and Abuja in counter-terrorism efforts.
The renewed missions, conducted by long-range surveillance aircraft took to the skies on Saturday, December 27, 2025, focusing on extremist group activities in the northeastern theatre of Nigeria, particularly the Sambisa Forest in Borno State where the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) operates.
According to flight-tracking data shared by terrorism analyst Brant Philip, the flights recommenced after a one-day pause following late Thursday’s aerial strikes on alleged ISIS positions in northwest Nigeria’s Sokoto State.
“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,” Philip posted on X, referring to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The aircraft tracked over Nigerian airspace was identified as a Gulfstream V, a long-range business jet frequently adapted for ISR missions, surveillance flights that gather real-time intelligence on militant movements and activities.
Open-source flight logs indicate these intelligence operations began on November 24, 2025, with missions regularly departing from Ghana, a strategic logistics hub for U.S. military operations in West Africa. Since then, the aircraft has reportedly flown over Nigeria almost daily, monitoring armed groups and potentially tracking other security concerns.
The renewed flights are specifically poised against ISWAP, the local affiliate of ISIS known for its insurgent campaign across northeastern Nigeria and into the Lake Chad Basin. Intelligence gaps in the region have long complicated local and international efforts to curb extremist violence.
The surveillance clearance follows closely on the heels of a rare US-backed airstrike operation against ISIS-linked targets in Sokoto State on December 25–26, 2025. That operation, which came at Nigeria’s request and was backed by federal intelligence, involved precision strikes that targeted alleged militant infrastructure and was part of escalating bilateral efforts to quell terrorism.
