The Pentagon on Thursday restricted U.S. service members’ travel to five West African countries, citing recent militant attacks in the region, U.S. defense officials said.
A spokesman for U.S. Africa Command, Anthony Falvo, a Navy Lt. Cmdr., said the order limits unofficial travel by U.S. military personnel to Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Ghana.
“It is just increased vigilance given the recent events that have happened in that area of the world,’’ Mr. Falvo said.
Gunmen on Sunday killed 19 people at a beach-side resort in Ivory Coast.
The attack was claimed by al Qaeda’s North African branch, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
The same group said it was behind a January attack on a hotel and restaurant in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou that killed 29 people, as well as a November hotel siege in Mali.
According to U.S. Michelle Baldanza, a Pentagon spokeswoman, the order remains in effect until June 30, and does not restrict official travel to the countries involved.
“Given the recent attacks in western Africa, we felt it prudent to make this decision at this time in an effort to ensure the safety of our personnel,’’ Ms. Baldanza, a Lt. Col., said.
U.S. Africa Command has between 1,000 and 1,200 forces on the continent at any one time, mostly in training and support roles to help local security forces combat militants.
(Source: REUTERS/NAN)