US military intervention in Niger
The US military intervention in Niger was the deployment of special operations forces and unmanned aerial vehicles by the United States in support of the Nigerien government and French military in counter-terrorism operations against militant groups in Niger as part of Operation Juniper Shield. The deployment of U.S. forces in Niger and in the greater West Africa region involved the training of host nation partner forces, enhancement of host nation security assistance efforts, and facilitated counter-terrorism and surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of host nation partner forces. The U.S. deployed drones from the Air Force and CIA in order to assist American and Nigerien forces in counter-terrorism operations, monitor routes used by militants in Niger into neighboring nations, and to assist operations in Libya. The deployment of US troops in Niger had been largely unreported until the 2017 Tongo Tongo ambush by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara militants left four American and four Nigerien soldiers dead. The ambush created controversy in the public and media with many people asking as to why the US had so many troops across Africa and specifically Niger which at the time had more than 800 US personnel in country.