US builds drone bases in Mid East and Africa

THE US is building a ring of secret drone bases in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as part of an aggressive campaign against al-Qaida affiliates in Somalia and Yemen, the Washington Post reported yesterday.

One base for the unmanned aircraft is being established in Ethiopia and another base has been installed in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

A small fleet of “hunter- killer” drones resumed operations in the islands this month after an experimental mission demonstrated the unmanned drones could effectively patrol Somalia from there.