The United States military on Monday said that it lost a drone in late February around the central Nigerien city of Agadez.
“On Feb. 29, U.S. Africa Command lost one remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in vicinity of Agadez, Niger. Our initial and current assessment is that the RPA was lost due to mechanical failure,” the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a tweet.
Niger, which is located in the Sahel region, is considered strategically important by the United States in the war on terror.
The United States has a $100million drone base in the city to help Niger combat militant groups and protect its borders.
A number of Islamist militant groups operate in that region, most notably Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa. Boko Haram is known for its agenda to maintain a virtual caliphate in Nigeria, the most populous African country. Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) split from Boko Haram in 2016.
The Sahel region has seen an increase in indiscriminate attacks targeting both local and foreign troops in recent months.
Niger along with Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Mali and Chad are members of the French-backed G5 Sahel group created to fight militants in the region.
The United States has pledged and provided various equipment to Niger to aid its efforts in fighting Islamist extremists in the region.
The United States’ assistance to the G5 Sahel Joint Force is just one component of the larger and longer-term security sector support the United States provides to Niger, according to AFRICOM.
