US moves drones to northern Niger

The US military will shift its drone flights in Niger from Niamey to a base further north, allowing Washingon to better track Islamist fighters in the region, a defence official said on Tuesday.

The United States started drone surveillance flights out of Niger in early 2013 to support French forces fighting Islamist militants in northern Mali.

Washington had always intended to move the operation further north and now the details have been worked out to relocate the flights to a base in Agadez, about 800km from Niamey, said the US defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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