Israeli security forces have reportedly arrived in Nigeria to assist in the search for up to 200 young Christian girls abducted by the terrorist Islamist group Boko Haram.
The offer came as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke from Japan earlier this week to Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Israel expresses deep shock at the crime against the girls,” he said. “We are ready to help in finding the girls and fighting the cruel terrorism inflicted on you.”
Members of a Nigerian delegation currently in Israel told Channel 2 News that their government had accepted the offer of Israeli aid, and confirmed that Israeli counter-terrorism experts were already en route to the West African nation.
Jonathan told Netanyahu that “Nigeria would be pleased to have Israel’s globally acknowledged anti-terrorism expertise deployed to support its ongoing operations,” according to the president’s spokesman Reuben Abati.
Britain, the United States and France have already sent specialist teams and equipment to help Nigeria’s military in the search concentrated in the remote northeast, which has been hit by five years of deadly violence.
Nigeria is one of Israel’s closest friends in Africa, and Israel provided Nigerian authorities with medical supplies following a Boko Haram attack against three churches on Christmas Day in 2011 that killed dozens.
Last September, Israel was among several countries that sent advisers to Kenya to assist in a stand-off with Islamist gunmen who attacked a mall in Nairobi.