Security Alert As ISWAP Plots Drone Attacks On Military Positions In Yobe, Borno

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has significantly enhanced its drone capabilities and is finalizing plans to carry out coordinated aerial attacks on Nigerian military positions in Yobe and Borno states.

A confidential security assessment sighted by Premium Times indicated that the terrorist group intends to deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) against military formations and patrol teams operating in key conflict zones across the two states.

Sources familiar with the intelligence said ISWAP commanders have finalised arrangements for the attacks, which are expected to involve multiple drones operating at the same time against selected military targets.

According to the sources, fighters loyal to the group in the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest axis recently received a fresh consignment of about 35 drones, allegedly transported through the Lake Chad corridor, a known logistics route used by insurgents in the North-East.

Security officials disclosed that the drones have already undergone test flights and were confirmed to be operationally ready, raising concerns within the military about a potential escalation in ISWAP’s asymmetric warfare tactics.

ISWAP has increasingly relied on drone technology in recent years, both for reconnaissance and offensive operations, signalling a dangerous evolution in the decade-long insurgency in the region.

Security experts said the group typically modifies commercially available drones to monitor troop movements, adjust mortar fire and, in isolated cases, drop locally fabricated explosive devices on military positions.

Military analysts noted that the group’s growing drone capability mirrors tactics adopted by extremist groups in other conflict theatres, where low-cost UAVs are repurposed to offset conventional military disadvantages.

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

However, insurgent groups, including ISWAP and Boko Haram, have continued to adapt through 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 Armed Forces for the urgent deployment of robust counter-drone systems to protect troops on the frontlines.

Neither the Nigerian Army nor the Defence Headquarters has commented publicly on the intelligence as of the time of filing this report, although military authorities have previously acknowledged the growing threat posed by insurgents’ use of technology.

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.