The US military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops – in a non-combat role providing training and intelligence support to the military in its fight against Islamist militants across the north, US and Nigerian officials have confirmed.
A US defence official said the drones had been deployed alongside troops at the request of the Nigerians to collect intelligence. "We see this as a shared security threat," the official told Reuters news agency.
