An airman assigned to the 409th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron provides security during a mass casualty training exercise at Air Base 201 in Niger, Nov. 28, 2023. The U.S. has cut the number of troops its keeps in Niger as a result of a coup in the west African nation earlier this year. (Rose Gudex/U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. has cut the number of military personnel deployed to Niger by more than 40% in the wake of a coup over the summer that has ended counterterrorism missions, the White House said.

In a Dec. 7 advisory letter to Congress, the administration said there are now 648 American military personnel in Niger, down from the roughly 1,100 who were there before a military junta seized power and ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in July.

Following the coup, the U.S. began removing some forces while concentrating others at an air base on the outskirts of the Sahara Desert city of Agadez, which has functioned as a hub for drone operations in the region.

However, the U.S. was forced to end its collaboration with Niger on counterterrorism efforts, in accordance with American rules that prohibit partnership with military juntas.

It’s unclear how long the Pentagon can afford to hold on to the Agadez base, where operations are now limited because of those rules.

The Air Force began flying out of the Agadez site, known as Base 201, in 2019. Built at a cost of roughly $110 million, the facility was intended to serve as a hub for regional counterterrorism operations.