US considering drones in NA to monitor IS: Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON: 

The United States is holding discussions with countries in North Africa about locating drones at a base there to heighten monitoring of Islamic State in Libya, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing a senior administration official.

Such a base near Islamic State strongholds in Libya would help the United States “fill gaps in our understanding of what’s going on” in that region, the official was quoted as saying.

The newspaper said drone flights would give US military and intelligence agencies real-time information on the militant group’s activities in Libya.

Fighters allied with Islamic State commanders in Iraq and Syria have been gaining ground in Libya, where two rival governments are battling for control and militants have taken advantage of the security vacuum.

The Journal, citing senior US officials, said no North African country had yet agreed to offer access to a base.

It quoted officials as saying any such facility would likely be an existing base under the control of the host country, with the United States receiving permission to place drones there along with a limited number of military personnel.