US Surveillance Aircraft Join Hunt for Kidnapped Schoolgirls

The United States surveillance airplane  has  been flying over remote areas of the northeast as part of an international hunt for about 200 girls kidnapped a month ago by Boko Haram militants who stormed their school.

Thousands of Nigerian troops have been sent to the region, while the United States and Britain also have teams on the ground to help with the search.

The US State Department said Washington had sent military, law-enforcement and development experts to Nigeria to help search for the missing girls. "We have shared commercial satellite imagery with the Nigerians and are flying manned ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) assets over Nigeria with the government's permission," a U.S. official said.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said U.S. teams on the ground "are digging in on the search and coordinating closely with the Nigerian government as well as international partners and allies".