US has around 300 military personnel in Niger: Pentagon

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US remains on track to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from Niger by Sept. 15, the Pentagon said Monday.

"The current total of US forces in Niger is approximately 300, and we're still on track to meet that safe and orderly withdrawal by September 15th," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Singh said the US completed its withdrawal from Air Base 101 in the West African nation's capital Niamey on July 7.

Niger terminated its longstanding military agreement with Washington in early March this year, declaring the presence of all US troops and contractors "illegal” because "it was not democratically approved and imposes unfavorable conditions on Niger, particularly in terms of a lack of transparency on military activities," said Nigerien government spokesman Amadou Abdramane.