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| Terror Networks |
| Defending against Drones: State and armed group responses in west Africa |
| 2026-10-27 |
| by Nicocla Milnes [MilitantWire] Globally, the emergence of drones for both surveillance and strikes has become a dominant feature of conflict. The Sahel in Africa is no exception to this. As the militaries in Mali and Burkina Faso incorporated purpose-built combat drones (five TB2s for the latter, two for the former) in 2022 to target jihadist insurgents, non-state armed groups responded by acquiring, modifying, and operating smaller quadcopters. JNIM demonstrated the first documented drone strike by a Sahelian armed group in Sept 2023, dropping an explosive on a government-aligned militia position in central Mali. Since then, drone incidents by these groups have risen sharply, from just 3 in 2023 and 25 in 2024, to 175 in 2025 and 101 as of September 2026. In parallel with this escalation has been an improvement in drone capabilities, such as flying larger frames carrying heavier payloads, as well as increased precision in strikes that produce greater casualties and damage. While the rate of increase in both frequency and capability is alarming, it is in line with how other non-state armed groups such as Mexican cartels and guerrillas in Colombia have adopted drones. More at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |