US military says a small team of troops has been sent to Nigeria to assist in counter-terrorism efforts.
The United States military has confirmed that some forces have been dispatched to Nigeria as part of expanded cooperation between Washington and Abuja to address terrorism and related security threats in the West African nation.
Accordng to Reuters, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), said on Tuesday that Nigeria and the United States agreed on the need for closer military collaboration to bolster counter-terrorism operations.
US President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria in December and said there could be more U.S. military action there.
Anderson did not disclose the exact size and mission details of the deployed team, but described it as a small contingent with “unique capabilities” provided by the United States.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson said.
Nigerian Defence Minister Christopher Musa separately confirmed that a US team is operating in the country, declining to provide further specifics.
The US had conducted surveillance flights over the country from Ghana since at least late November.
However the new development represents the first official acknowledgment of US forces on the ground in Nigeria since Washington conducted airstrikes in the country at the end of December. That action targeted militant groups after months of Nigeria allowing US intelligence flights to operate over its territory — a sign of heightened security cooperation between the two countries.
US officials say the deployed team focuses heavily on intelligence gathering and support to Nigerian forces in their fight against terrorist-affiliated groups.
Nigeria has come under intense pressure by Washington to act after President Trump accused the West African nation of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the northwest.
The Nigerian government denies any systematic persecution of Christians, saying it is targeting Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.
Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have intensified attacks on military convoys and civilians, and the northwest remains the epicentre of the 17-year Islamist insurgency.
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strike was carried out in Sokoto state in coordination with Nigerian authorities and killed multiple ISIS militants.
The strike came after Trump in late October began warning that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened to militarily intervene in the West African country over what he says is its failure to stop violence targeting Christian communities.
