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US flies drones from Ethiopia to fight Somali militants | US flies drones from Ethiopia to fight Somali militants |
(about 14 hours later) | |
The US military has begun flying drone aircraft from a base in Ethiopia, as part of its fight against Islamist militants in neighbouring Somalia. | The US military has begun flying drone aircraft from a base in Ethiopia, as part of its fight against Islamist militants in neighbouring Somalia. |
US officials have confirmed to the BBC that the base, in the southern city of Arba Minch, is now operational. | US officials have confirmed to the BBC that the base, in the southern city of Arba Minch, is now operational. |
But they stressed that the remotely-piloted drones were being used only for surveillance, and not for air strikes. | But they stressed that the remotely-piloted drones were being used only for surveillance, and not for air strikes. |
It is part of a growing counter-terrorism presence in the region as the US pursues groups with al-Qaeda links. | It is part of a growing counter-terrorism presence in the region as the US pursues groups with al-Qaeda links. |
The US military has reportedly spent millions of dollars upgrading the remote, civilian airport - from which Reaper drones are now being flown. | The US military has reportedly spent millions of dollars upgrading the remote, civilian airport - from which Reaper drones are now being flown. |
The remotely-piloted aircraft can be equipped with missiles and satellite guided bombs. | The remotely-piloted aircraft can be equipped with missiles and satellite guided bombs. |
News of the drone deployment was first href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-drone-base-in-ethiopia-is-operational/2011/10/27/gIQAznKwMM_story.html?hpid=z1" >reported by the Washington Post late on Thursday. US officials confirmed to the BBC that aircraft were now in Ethiopia. | |
However, the officials added that the drones were flying unarmed because their use is considered sensitive by Ethiopia's government. | |
The Ethiopian foreign ministry has previously denied the presence of US drones in the country. On Thursday, a spokesman for the Ethiopian embassy in the US told the Washington Post that remained Addis Ababa's position. | |
"We don't entertain foreign military bases in Ethiopia," Tesfaye Yilma, the head of public diplomacy for the embassy, told the Post. | |
The drones are used in a surveillance role against the al-Shabab militant group - based in Somalia, and already the focus of drone missions flown from other bases in the region. |
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