Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigerian military forces have intensified offensive operations in the Sambisa Forest region of Borno State, moving beyond aerial surveillance and precision strikes into a sustained ground offensive against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram remnants, military sources confirmed. The operation follows renewed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) activity over the northeast, which security officials say helped pinpoint militant strongholds and enabled coordinated kinetic action.
Commanders from Operation Hadin Kai, the federal government’s main counter‑insurgency force in Nigeria’s northeast, said troops advanced on multiple ISWAP positions within Sambisa Forest between December 29 and December 31, 2025, dismantling terrorist camps, recovering arms and ammunition, and destroying improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The offensive — part of a campaign termed Operation Desert Sanity V — involved coordinated movement by the 21 Special Armoured Brigade, 26 Task Force Brigade and allied volunteer forces, pushing deeper into forested enclaves that militants have long used as bases of operation.
Military sources described the operation as a “clearance and disruption offensive,” aimed at degrading insurgents’ ability to organise, train and launch attacks on civilian communities and security installations across Borno State and neighbouring regions. Troops reportedly cleared areas including the Ubaka axis, Sabil Huda enclave, Parisu, Somalia Camp and Njimiya, encountering mostly abandoned positions — a sign, officials say, that militants have been on the back foot after persistent pressure.
During the offensive, ground forces uncovered caches of weapons and unexploded IEDs, and successfully detonated devices to reduce risk to advancing units. The troops also recovered AK‑47 rifles, ammunition and grenades, and destroyed shelter structures used by the insurgents, according to battlefield reports. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams cleared routes to allow safe exploitation of cleared areas.
Significantly, the operation succeeded without notable resistance in some sectors, raising military confidence that ISWAP fighters have relocated or scattered in response to increasing pressure from sustained ground action and ISR‑guided strikes. Nigerian forces have in recent days leaned on intelligence collected from ISR flights, which included aerial surveillance operations renewed in the northeast, reportedly involving U.S. and allied ISR assets over the region. These flights preceded the ground push, providing real‑time data that helped shape tactical planning and troop deployment.
Security analysts note that while aerial ISR coverage does not in itself constitute foreign aerial attack missions, its contribution to understanding militant movements and terrain complexity can be significant when integrated with Nigerian ground operations and domestic air capabilities. The integration of high‑altitude airborne surveillance with boots‑on‑the‑ground tactics reflects an evolving approach to counter‑insurgency in the challenging Sambisa Forest theatre.
The Sambisa Forest has long been a central hub for both ISWAP and Boko Haram factions, who have used its dense terrain to evade previous military campaigns, train recruits, and plan cross‑border assaults. Successive Nigerian offensives over recent years have sought to dismantle this safe haven, with varying degrees of intensity and territorial control. The latest clearance operation represents the most concerted ground effort in several months.
Despite progress, officials caution that remnants of ISWAP and allied groups may still operate in small, mobile units capable of evading capture and regrouping in isolated forest pockets. The Defence Headquarters has indicated that follow‑on operations, including intelligence exploitation and area domination missions, remain priorities as troops work to secure civilian populations and disrupt insurgent networks.
The offensive has also underscored ongoing debates about the role of foreign military cooperation — especially U.S.–Nigeria security collaboration — in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. Government officials have publicly affirmed that coordinated actions with international partners are conducted within the bounds of sovereignty, international law and mutual consent, focused on shared security objectives without ceding operational independence.
For communities affected by the insurgency, the recent ground offensive offers a measure of hope amid years of instability, displacement and violence. However, humanitarian and security analysts emphasise that lasting peace will require not only tactical military gains but also sustained efforts in community protection, reconstruction, intelligence sharing and socio‑economic development to address the root causes that allow extremist groups to persist.
As the government assesses battle damage and next steps, military leadership has reiterated its commitment to driving militant elements out of strongholds like Sambisa and reducing the ability of armed groups to threaten civilian lives. The coming weeks are expected to reveal whether this offensive marks a turning point in Nigeria’s protracted counter‑insurgency campaign in the northeast.
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