80 U.S. troops in Chad will aid search for abducted Nigerian girls--Pentagon

The United States deployed 80 members of its armed forces to Chad to help in the search for the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls, the White House said Wednesday.

"These personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area," it said in a letter.

"The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required."

President Barack Obama informed the House speaker and the president of the Senate of the move.

The forces will be involved in maintaining aircraft and analyzing data, but because they are armed, the President is required by law to inform the speaker of the House, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

"These are not combat infantry troops that we put into Chad," Kirby told CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" on Wednesday. "These are folks that are there to support the reconnaissance mission."

Boko Haram abducted more than 200 girls last month from a school in northern Nigeria. Officials have speculated that the militants may have transported them to neighboring Chad or Cameroon, but it's not clear where the girls are or whether they've left Nigeria.

So why are troops deploying to Chad?

"Just geographically, Chad's a great location to do this from," Kirby said, adding that the United States has a good relationship with its government.

Reconnaissance flights will be searching an area roughly the size of West Virginia, he said, that includes parts of Nigeria and other countries.

The deployment is not based on any new intelligence leads, a senior administration official said.

"The truth is, we don't know exactly where they are," Kirby said. "We still believe that they've broken up into small groups and dispersed."

A U.S. Predator drone will now be aiding in the search for the girls, a Pentagon official told CNN. Half of the new group of U.S. troops will be operating the launch and recovery of the unarmed drone on its missions, and half of them will be providing security on the ground in Chad.

Nigeria asks U.N. to designate Boko Haram as terrorist group

Also Wednesday, Nigeria asked the United Nations to designate Boko Haram as a terrorist organization as its escalating attacks spread alarm nationwide.

If approved, it will enable countries to impose arms embargoes, travel bans and asset freezes.

A United Nations al Qaeda committee is expected to decide when it meets Thursday. Nigeria's request lists the terror group as an affiliate of al Qaeda.

This is a "significant step" in the fight against terror, said Joy Ogwu, the Nigerian ambassador to the United Nations.

The United States branded Boko Haram a terrorist group last year, providing greater access to its finances and more ability to limit its movements. U.S. officials have said Boko Haram does not have financing in the United States.

The insurgent group has escalated its attacks in Africa's most populous nation as its bloodletting extends far beyond its hotbed in the rural northeast.

In attacks that appear to be getting more frequent, twin blasts killed at least 118 people Tuesday at a market in the central city of Jos.

The explosions went off 20 to 30 minutes apart, sparking an inferno that sent crowds running and screaming, covered in blood.

Nigerian authorities described the blasts as "terrorist activities" but declined to speculate on who might be responsible.