LONDON, Dec. 21 (UPI) — The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense will soon bolster its training for the Nigerian Armed Forces to support its fight against Boko Haram militants.
The new commitment was announced following a visit between U.K. senior government officials and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. To help the Nigerian government combat Boko Haram, Islamic militants based in the region, the United Kingdom will double the number of British personnel deployed in the country, deploy a specialist team to train personnel in countering improvised explosive device attacks, and deploy a new Royal Air Force training team to train the Nigerian Air Force in airfield defense and counter-insurgency.
“Boko Haram is a brutal organisation that has murdered and kidnapped innocent civilians. We stand united with Nigeria in its efforts to defeat them,” U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement. “Stepping up our training efforts will help support the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) for crucial counter-insurgency operations.”
Boko Haram continues to pose a significant threat to civilians in Nigeria and surrounding countries in northern Africa. Recent attacks include a suicide bombing in Cameroon which killed 10, and a series of suicide bombings in Chad which killed 30 and injured 80.
Around 130 U.K. military personnel arrived in Nigeria in 2015 to support infantry training, civil-military affairs, and military training schools. That number is expected to increase to around 300 in 2016.
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