Unarmed drones have been flying out of Tunisia since late June and are now part of a US air defense in support of Libyan pro-government forces fighting ISIS.

The United States has begun using a Tunisian air base to conduct surveillance drone operations inside Libya, the latest expansion of its campaign against ISIS militants in North Africa, US government sources said on Wednesday.

The unarmed drones have been flying out of Tunisia since late June and are now part of a US air defense in support of Libyan pro-government forces fighting to push ISIS fighters out of their stronghold in the Libyan city of Sirte, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The use of the Tunisian base, which was first reported by The Washington Post, extends the US military’s ability to gather intelligence on Islamic State in Libya, the US sources said. Other locations in Africa where US drones are launched, including Niger and Djibouti, are farther away.

In Tunis, a Tunisian defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied that the drones were flying into neighboring Libya and said they were instead used for training Tunisian forces and protecting the country’s borders.

US officials said the Air Force Reaper drones were being operated by US personnel with Tunisian government approval from an existing base operated by Tunisia’s military and were currently used only for surveillance. But such unmanned aircraft are also capable of being armed.

“There are US service members working with the Tunisian security forces for counter terrorism and they are sharing intelligence from various sources, to include aerial platforms,” said US Army Colonel Mark Cheadle, spokesman for US Africa Command.

Tunisia, a close US counterterrorism partner, requested additional military equipment and training from Washington after deadly militant attacks last year and has been given more than $250 million in security assistance, Cheadle said.

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