Three US military aircraft carrying troops and equipment have landed in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, marking the start of a new US-Nigeria security deployment focused on support roles, officials said.

About 100 US personnel arrived between Thursday and Sunday as part of the initial deployment, with additional flights expected in the coming weeks. “As said last week, the American troops would focus on non-combat functions and operate primarily from command centres. Their job is to support our efforts here,” an anonymous Nigerian Defence Headquarters official told Anadolu on Monday.

The deployment comes amid criticism from US President Donald Trump over Nigeria’s handling of attacks targeting Christian communities. The Nigerian government responded that Muslim civilians and others have also suffered in the ongoing violence.

Meanwhile, Nigeria has boosted domestic security, deploying special forces to Plateau and Taraba states, which have faced recurring violence.