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Nigerian Army troops have discovered a suspected drone launch site used by terrorists during a combat patrol in Bitta, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, signaling a growing change in insurgents’ tactics in the north-east.
Security sources said the operation, conducted at around 6.30am on Monday, followed intelligence reports of unusual drone activity and forest burning allegedly carried out by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram (JAS) fighters operating around the Damboa axis.
According to counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, who monitors developments in the Lake Chad region, troops moved into the area to verify intelligence and later discovered a location believed to be used by terrorists to launch drones.
The site, according to the sources, has been marked for possible ambush operations as part of broader efforts to disrupt the group’s surveillance and battlefield coordination capabilities.
“The location has been assigned for a possible ambush operation as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt terrorist surveillance and operational capabilities,” the source said.
It was also understood that patrols and intelligence surveillance in the area have been intensified to deny the insurgents freedom of movement and reduce the risk of further coordinated attacks.
The latest discovery comes amid growing concern over the growing use of drones by terrorist groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin.
A recent analysis by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) revealed that ISIS-linked factions have conducted around 20 drone-related attacks in West Africa, most of them in Nigeria, marking a shift in the sophistication of rebel operations.
One of the deadliest attacks occurred on January 29 in Borno state, when terrorists reportedly launched a coordinated attack on a military base involving armed drones and ground fighters.
The Nigerian military said nine soldiers were killed in that attack, underscoring the evolving threat posed by drone warfare in the region.
Security experts have warned that the growing adoption of unmanned aerial systems by rebel groups could further complicate counter-terrorism operations, particularly in remote and hard-to-reach communities in Borno and neighboring states.
Military authorities have yet to release an official statement on the latest discovery as of this writing.
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