The United States airstrikes targeting militants affiliated with the Islamic State group in northwestern Nigeria are a major escalation of an offensive that Nigeria’s overstretched military has struggled with for years.

President Donald Trump’s administration is promoting efforts to work with Nigeria’s government to counter violence against Christians.

The resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria's northeast is raising fears about a risk of returning to the peak Boko Haram-era insecurity in the region.