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Watch: US army exercises in Africa aims to combat extremists

Watch: US army exercises in Africa aims to combat extremists

US army exercises in Africa focus on training to combat extremists

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The US has ramped up its presence in Niger in order to stop the extremist group from mushrooming in Africa where Islamic State, Boko Haram and AQUIM regularly hit civilian targets.

US forces concluded a nine-day military exercise "Flintlock 2018" in Niger aimed at stopping the spread of extremist organizations in the continent.

Reuters quoted colonel Craig Miller, US Air Force special operations Command Africa, saying: "Under-governed spaces might provide an opportunity and certainly that's something that our African partners are concerned about and we are trying to assist them in understanding the human dynamics."

A multinational headquarters was put upin Agadez, Niger to set the exercise in motion which was attended by forces from Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal.

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"We are working by, with and through our African partners to build stability, to provide some training and to help them conduct operations against the violent extremist organizations that are operating inside their territory," Craig Miller told Reuters.

Two US soldiers were killed in Tongo last year after an ambush by Islamic State-linked organization.

The US has ramped up its presence in Niger in order to stop the extremistgroup from mushrooming in Africa where Islamic State, Boko Haram and AQUIM regularly hit civilian targets.