ISWAP terrorists acquire more drones, plan coordinated attacks on Nigerian troops

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has significantly expanded its drone capability and is finalising plans to launch coordinated aerial attacks on Nigerian military positions in parts of Yobe and Borno states, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

A confidential security assessment sighted by PREMIUM TIMES indicates that the terrorists intend to deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) against military formations and patrol teams operating in key conflict areas across the two states.

According to sources familiar with the matter, ISWAP commanders have concluded arrangements for the attacks, which are expected to involve multiple drones operating simultaneously against selected targets.

The sources disclosed that fighters loyal to the group in the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest axis recently received a new batch of about 35 drones, allegedly transported through the Lake Chad corridor, a notorious logistics route used by insurgents operating around Nigeria’s north-eastern borders.

Security officials said the newly acquired UAVs have already undergone test flights and were confirmed to be operationally ready, raising concerns within the military about a possible escalation in the group’s use of asymmetric warfare tactics.

ISWAP has increasingly relied on drone technology in recent years, both for reconnaissance and offensive operations, marking a dangerous evolution in the conflict that has raged in the North-East for over a decade.

Security experts say the group typically use commercially modified drones to surveil troop movements, adjust mortar fire, and, in isolated cases, drop locally fabricated explosive devices on military positions.

Military analysts say the growing sophistication of ISWAP’s drone programme mirrors trends seen among extremist groups in other conflict zones, where low-cost UAVs are repurposed to offset conventional military disadvantages.

Nigeria’s armed forces have, in recent years, intensified counter-terrorism operations across Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, degrading several insurgent strongholds and killing or capturing key commanders.

However, insurgent groups, including ISWAP and Boko Haram, have continued to adjust tactics, including the use of improvised explosive devices, ambushes on supply routes, and increasingly, aerial surveillance.

Security sources said the latest intelligence has prompted calls within the Nigerian military for the urgent deployment of robust counter-drone measures to neutralise the emerging threat and protect troops on the frontlines.

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Neither the Nigerian Army nor the Defence Headquarters has publicly commented on the intelligence at the time of filing this report, but officials have previously acknowledged the growing challenge posed by insurgents’ use of technology for military purposes.

The Boko Haram insurgency, which began in 2009, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions across Nigeria’s North-East.

ISWAP, which broke away from Boko Haram in 2016 and later pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, has since emerged as one of the most lethal armed groups in the Lake Chad region.

PREMIUM TIMES will continue to monitor developments surrounding the evolving security situation.