The United States has sent 100 military personnel to northern Nigeria. They will train and advise Nigerian forces fighting rising attacks by armed groups like Boko Haram and ISIS-linked factions. Samaila Uba, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesman, said the US troops arrived in Bauchi on Monday. He said the soldiers will offer "technical support" and "intelligence sharing" to help target and defeat "terrorist organisations." The US also sent equipment to aid the mission. Uba stressed the US troops will not take part in direct combat but will work under Nigeria’s military command. "The armed forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to degrading and defeating terrorist organisations that threaten the country’s sovereignty, national security, and the safety of its citizens," Uba told Premium Times newspaper. The deployment follows rising violence. Last weekend, gunmen killed at least 46 people in three villages in northern Nigeria. The worst attack was in Konkoso village, Niger State, where 38 people were shot or had their throats slit. The US and Nigeria’s cooperation increased after tensions last year, when former US President Donald Trump criticized Nigeria for failing to stop killings and threatened military action. The Nigerian government rejected these claims. In December, US forces launched air strikes on ISIS-affiliated fighters in northwest Nigeria. US Africa Command recently confirmed a small team was already in Nigeria to help with intelligence. Nigeria faces many armed groups fighting for control, including Boko Haram, ISIL West Africa Province (ISWAP), Lakurawa, and bandit gangs involved in kidnapping and illegal mining. Fighters from the nearby Sahel region, like Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, also attack Nigeria. Thousands have died in this conflict, with victims mainly in the Muslim-majority north. Nigeria’s population of 240 million is split evenly between Christians, mostly in the south, and Muslims, mostly in the north.