from Premier
About 100 US military personnel have arrived in Nigeria as Washington scales up an operation to target Islamist insurgents, a Nigerian defence spokesperson said.
US President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest.
Nigeria denies discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
The US carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in December, and a small US military team has been operating on the ground to boost Nigeria’s intelligence capabilities.
In recent days, several planes carrying US troops and equipment have headed to Nigeria’s northern states, according to flight tracking data reviewed by Reuters.