US deploys troops to Chad to hunt for Nigerian girls

JOS, Nigeria- The United States has deployed 80 military personnel to Chad to help find 200 Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, who are blamed for a spree of deadly attacks this week including a massive car-bombing.

In a letter to Congress, US President Barack Obama said the military contingent would stay in Chad until their support in ending the abduction nightmare that has outraged the world “is no longer required”.

“These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area,” Obama said.

The troops mark a significant boost to an existing US military effort which includes the use of surveillance drones as well as manned aircraft over Nigeria.

The Pentagon has criticised Nigeria for failing to react swiftly to the rise of Boko Haram, held responsible for thousands of deaths since 2009. Until the kidnappings Nigeria had resisted cooperation with the West in its fight against the group.

Nigerian authorities have been probing the nation’s deadliest bomb attack yet, a twin car blast Tuesday in the New Abuja Market area of the central city of Jos which left at least 118 people dead and buildings collapsed.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the atrocity as well as other recent strikes near the town where the schoolgirls were kidnapped, in affronts to a security crackdown launched in response to the April 14 mass abduction.

Three more attacks, two in villages near the girls’ hometown of Chibok in northeastern Borno state and one near Lake Chad, have left more than 50 people dead between Monday and Wednesday, according to witnesses.

“They began shooting and set fire to our homes. We had to flee to the bush. They killed 20 of our people,” Haruna Bitrus in the village of Alagarno told AFP, in an account supported by other residents.

SOURCE: AFP