NEW YORK (Sputnik) — US Special Operations Forces will participate in the Flintlock training exercise in Africa later this month, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced in a statement.
"Scheduled to take place in Senegal with outstations in Mauritania Feb. 8-29, Flintlock is African planned, coordinated and executed Special Operations Forces exercise that focuses on multi-national cooperation and capacity building," the statement said on Wednesday.
Approximately 1,700 Special Operation Forces from more than 30 nations are expected to participate in the exercise, which has been conducted annually since 2005.
In January, US media reported that President Barack Obama was making plans to open a third front against the Islamic State in the north of Africa, particularly in Libya, following US military operations in Syria and Iraq.
The Daesh is a designated terrorist group outlawed in the United States and Russia, among many other countries. The terror group has been carrying out attacks on Libya’s oil infrastructure.