The United States is increasing military equipment deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria, the deputy commander of US Africa Command said, as Washington expands cooperation with African forces targeting Daesh-linked armed groups.

Lieutenant General John Brennan said the Pentagon has also kept communication channels open with the militaries of Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

The expanded cooperation follows US diplomatic engagement with Nigeria over ongoing violence and comes as the US adopts a more assertive posture toward Daesh-linked groups across Africa.

Under the Trump administration, "we've gotten a lot more aggressive and (are) working with partners to target, kinetically, the threats," Brennan said in an interview with AFP on the sidelines of a US-Nigeria security meeting in Abuja.

‘Providing information’

"From Somalia to Nigeria, the problem set is connected. So we're trying to take it apart and then provide partners with the information they need," he added.

"It's been about more enabling partners and then providing them equipment and capabilities with less restrictions so that they can be more successful."

The first meeting of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group took place last week in Abuja, about a month after US strikes on Daesh-linked targets in northwest Nigeria.

While both militaries have signaled interest in closer cooperation, tensions remain after President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of mass killings of Christians, a claim rejected by Nigerian authorities.

Nigeria is roughly evenly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a predominantly Christian south.

Brennan said US intelligence support would focus on supporting Nigerian air operations in northwest and northeast Nigeria, where armed groups have been active for years.