According to reports, the American drone base is under construction in Agadez, a town in Niger.
The facility is expected to offer US military, greater ability to use drones against Islamist extremists in countries like Libya, Mali and Nigeria.
Some security experts told The Punch that such drone attacks against insurgents in the North might kill innocent people.
The project, considered to be the United State’s most important military construction effort in Africa, according to secret files obtained by an online medium, The Intercept, will gulp $100m.
The construction of the base is an indication that the US is paying more attention to terrorist groups in Nigeria and other countries on the African continent.
“As the only country in the region willing to allow a US base for MQ-9 Reapers — a newer, larger, and potentially more lethal model than the venerable Predator drone — Niger has positioned itself to be the key regional hub for US military operations, with Agadez serving as the premier outpost for launching intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions against a plethora of terror groups,” The Intercept said.
