US troops complete withdrawal from final base in Niger

US troops were part of an international effort to suppress rebels and armed militias that regularly strike across the region The US military has begun withdrawing its forces from its final base in Niger, the Pentagon said Monday, more than a year after military coup leaders in the African country told them to leave. The "withdrawal of US forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete," the Pentagon said in a joint statement with Niger's defence ministry. "This effort... will continue between US and Nigerien armed forces over the coming weeks to ensure the full withdrawal is complete as planned," it continued. It did not give any detail on what assets the US may still have left to withdraw from the country. Fighting insurgency Some 200 soldiers had been at the Agadez drone base, in the north of the country. US troops were part of an international effort to suppress armed militias that regularly strike across the region. But the Niger military leaders, who seized power in a coup a year ago in March, told US and French forces to quit the country. "Over the past decade, US troops have trained Niger's forces and supported partner-led counterterrorism missions," the statement continued. "The effective cooperation and communication between the US and Nigerien armed forces ensured that this turnover was finished ahead of schedule and without complications," it said. ➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.