News
Nigerian troops arriving in Mali today
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Nigerian troops involved in the Mali intervention are expected Thursday.
Nigeria says it will send nearly 200 troops to Mali within the next few hours.
Nigerian defense spokesman Col. Mohammed Yerima said that Nigeria will send about 900 troops to Mali. The announcement comes as West African nations pledge support for a mission to oust al-Qaeda linked extremists from Mali.
The al-Qaeda linked extremists are carving out their own territory in northern Mali from where they can plot terror attacks in Africa and Europe. Estimates of how many fighters the extremists have range from less than 1,000 to several thousand. They are well-armed and funded and include recruits from other countries.