Militant groups are increasingly adapting consumer-grade technology to launch precision aerial attacks against military installations across the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
Jihadist factions in West Africa have significantly expanded their combat capabilities by integrating off-the-shelf drones into their arsenals. Security analysts warn that this technological adaptation allows groups to conduct surveillance and execute “kamikaze” style strikes with a precision that was previously unattainable.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the frequency of these attacks is rising. Data indicates that an al-Qaeda affiliate has conducted at least 69 drone strikes in Burkina Faso and Mali since 2023. Simultaneously, Islamic State (IS) affiliates have executed approximately 20 similar operations, primarily targeting locations in Nigeria.
The “War from the Skies”
The strategic shift was highlighted by a coordinated assault on January 29 in Nigeria’s Borno state. Fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) utilized multiple armed drones in conjunction with ground forces to overrun a military base. The Nigerian military confirmed nine soldiers were killed in the complex attack.
Experts note that the equipment being used is largely inexpensive, commercially available quadcopters. These devices are rigged with explosives for offensive missions or used to gather intelligence ahead of infantry advances.
Drones lower the cost of conducting attacks, allow militants to gather intelligence with minimal risk and enable strikes on military targets that were previously harder to reach.
Despite strict government regulations in Nigeria regarding the import and use of drones, researchers at Good Governance Africa report that smuggling networks effectively bypass these controls via porous borders. This supply chain has allowed groups like ISWAP to project power not just in Nigeria, but also into northern Cameroon, southern Niger, and southern Chad.
SOURCES: ACLED, Good Governance Africa, Nigerian Military Command, BBC.
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