Nigerian Army Launches Sambisa Ground Offensive After Days of US Surveillance Flights

The Nigerian army has launched a ground offensive against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the Sambisa forest, following several days of sustained US Air Force intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations over the area.

Military operations began on December 29, targeting ISWAP positions inside the forest, long regarded as one of the group’s most entrenched strongholds. Security sources said troops destroyed multiple militant positions during the advance, recovered weapons and killed at least one ISWAP fighter.

The offensive was carried out along two axes. Troops advanced from the eastern flank of Sambisa, moving from Bula Bulin, while a second force pushed northward from the Bitta military base south of the forest. The coordinated movements were aimed at dislodging ISWAP fighters and restricting their escape routes.

As ground forces advanced, ISWAP militants were reported to have withdrawn deeper into the forest in an attempt to avoid direct confrontation. The pullback suggests increased pressure from both aerial surveillance and ground operations.

The army’s offensive follows days of consecutive US Air Force ISR flights over Sambisa, which provided real-time intelligence on militant movements and positions. The surveillance missions resumed after recent US air strikes on ISIS-linked targets in Sokoto State and have focused largely on ISWAP activity in north-eastern Nigeria.