The general in charge of U.S. Africa Command warned Friday that terrorist factions in the Sahel region have increased so much in the past three years that they soon might be able to launch attacks on the U.S.

Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, who has led AFRICOM since 2022, said the region has become the “epicenter” for terrorism in Africa, with al-Qaida and Islamic State group affiliates operating in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria.

“One of the terrorists’ new objectives is gaining access to the West African Coast,” Langley told reporters, according to Stars and Stripes. “If they secure access to the coastline, they can finance their operations through smuggling, human trafficking and arms trade.”

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