Africa-Press. The commander of the US Africa Command (Africom), Dagvin Anderson, announced that the United States has deployed a “small team” of its forces to Nigeria, marking the first official confirmation of US troops on the ground since the airstrike carried out by Washington on Christmas Day.
Reuters had earlier reported that the United States had been conducting reconnaissance flights over Nigeria from Ghana since at least late November.
Anderson said the deployment followed an agreement between the two countries on the need to step up efforts to counter the terrorist threat in West Africa, noting that the team brings “unique capabilities” without disclosing its size or the scope of its mission.
In December, US President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria, hinting that additional operations could follow.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, confirmed the presence of a team operating inside the country but provided no further details.
According to a former US official cited in reports, the team’s role focuses on intelligence gathering and enabling Nigerian forces to target terrorist-linked groups.
The move comes amid growing US pressure on Nigeria over allegations that it has failed to protect Christians, claims Abuja denies, saying it is confronting armed groups targeting civilians of all backgrounds.
Africom said the airstrike was carried out in Sokoto state in coordination with Nigerian authorities and resulted in the killing of several Islamic State fighters, as the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa insurgencies continue to rage in the country.
