WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is sending nearly $45 million in military equipment, including four small drones, to Uganda and Burundi to help battle the escalating terror threat in Somalia.
Documents obtained by The Associated Press lay out assistance designed to help build the counterterrorism capabilities of the two countries, which have sent about 9,000 peacekeepers to Somalia.
The aid comes as attacks intensify in Somalia against the al-Qaida-linked terror group al-Shabab, including an airstrike late Thursday that hit a militant convoy. Officials say the strike killed a number of foreign fighters.
U.S. officials have warned that the threat from al-Shabab is growing, and the group is developing stronger ties with the Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
The aid is part of a $145.4 million package.