The United States has confirmed the deployment of a small team of troops to Nigeria, marking the first official acknowledgment of U.S. forces operating on the ground since airstrikes were carried out on Christmas Day.
The confirmation was made on Tuesday by General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, head of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), during a press briefing in Dakar.
President Donald Trump had ordered airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria in December, warning at the time that further U.S. military action could follow.
Earlier reports indicated that U.S. forces had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since late November, suggesting heightened security cooperation.
General Anderson explained that the troop deployment followed mutual agreement between the United States and Nigeria that stronger measures were needed to address terrorist threats in West Africa.
He said the collaboration resulted in the deployment of a small U.S. team bringing specialised capabilities, though he declined to disclose details about the size or specific mission of the force.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Gen Christopher Musa, (rtd) confirmed the presence of the U.S. team in the country but also withheld operational details.
A former U.S. official indicated that the deployed personnel were largely involved in intelligence gathering and supporting Nigerian forces in targeting terrorist-linked groups.
The development comes amid pressure from Washington, following President Trump’s accusations that Nigeria had failed to protect Christian communities from Islamist militants, claims strongly denied by the Nigerian government.
AFRICOM said the recent U.S. strike, carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State, killed multiple Islamic State militants, as Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to intensify attacks across parts of the country.