The United States has deployed drones to Nigeria, a U.S. defense official said Monday, as the West African country’s military faces a multifaceted security crisis. The MQ-9 drones, also known as Reapers, were deployed after 200 U.S. troops arrived in Nigeria last month to provide training and intelligence. The drones, which can fly at altitudes over 40,000 feet and can loiter for more than 30 hours, have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA over the Middle East for years. More than 40,000 Nigerians, mostly Christians, have been killed since Boko Haram’s insurgency began, according to data from the United Nations.
