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Russian troops have been deployed to an airbase in Niger where American soldiers are located, US officials said yesterday.

Russian troops have been deployed to an airbase in Niger where American soldiers are located, US officials say. The move comes after...

Russia has moved some troops onto an airbase in Niger where a small number of US forces remain, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he doesn't see it as a significant issue. Most American troops left that base in the nation's capital, Niamey, a US official said. The arrival of Russian trainers in the West African country about three weeks ago came in the wake of Niger’s decision to order out all US troops. The order dealt a blow to US military operations in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara desert where groups linked to al-Qaeda and the ISIS group operate.

The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the US to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington’s fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.

US News: Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting US troops, a senior US defense official told Reuters, a move that follows