Pentagon says surveillance flights, not counterterrorism ops, have restarted in Niger

The Pentagon said Thursday that it has not restarted counterterrorism operations in Niger, a day after the head of U.S. airpower for Europe and Africa said those flights had resumed. Gen. James Hecker, responding to a question from The Associated Press at a security conference Wednesday, said the U.S. military has been able to resume some manned aircraft and drone counterterrorism operations in Niger. “We are just flying ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) in order to monitor for any threats,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said at a press briefing Thursday.