Pentagon To Send 200 Troops to Nigeria

The Pentagon is sending 200 troops to Nigeria in the coming weeks to train the country’s military to fight Islamist militants, US officials told media outlets on Tuesday, as President Trump continues to deepen US involvement in the country.

A US official told The New York Times that the 200 troops will augment a small US force that has been in the country for several weeks. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, the head of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), recently confirmed that a “small team” of US troops had already deployed to Nigeria. Anderson visited Nigeria on Monday and spoke with senior Nigerian officials about deepening military cooperation.