The United States says it is stepping up counterterrorism cooperation with Nigeria after recent joint operations against extremist groups.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, disclosed the development while talking about violence and insecurity — especially attacks affecting Christian communities in Nigeria. He said American and Nigerian security agencies have strengthened ties and achieved a major breakthrough against the Islamic State group.
“We are now actively in counterterrorism cooperation with the Nigerian government and Nigerian security forces, including a joint operation a couple weeks ago that took out the number two leader of global ISIS operating from inside of the country,” Rubio said.
Rubio added that the work is ongoing. “That continues on,” he added, indicating that further collaborative actions are expected in the coming months.
Washington says it will keep supporting Nigeria’s security goals through strategic partnerships and intelligence-sharing. The announcement comes as Nigerian authorities renew efforts to fight terrorism, banditry and other threats. Security analysts say international cooperation could boost Nigeria’s ability to tackle extremist networks and improve intelligence-led operations.
