Three American Soldiers Killed in Niger in Suspected Ambush
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byMac William Bishop, Courtney KubeandHans Nichols
Three U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were
killed and two were wounded in Niger on Wednesday, in an ambush by
suspected Islamic militants operating from Mali, multiple sources with
knowledge of the incident told NBC News.
According to the sources, one soldier form Niger was also killed in the attack.
The U.S. military did not confirm the deaths
officially, but did acknowledge that a “hostile fire” incident involving
U.S. troops had occurred.
“We are working to confirm details of the
incident and will have more information as soon as we can confirm facts
on the ground,” said a spokesperson for Africa Command, or AFRICOM. The
military generally does not confirm nor identify American casualties
until it has ensured that the deceased’s family members have been
properly notified.
Nigerien
soldiers run through a ravine in order to sneak up on a target during a
training exercise September 22, 2004 in Samara, Niger. Jacob Silberberg / Getty Images file
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee
Sanders told reporters Wednesday night that Gen. John Kelly had briefed
President Donald Trump on the incident.
The deaths throw a spotlight on one of the
many military operations being conducted in Africa as part of a
wide-ranging war on a variety of extremist groups, in a swathe of
countries stretching across the continent. According to the French radio
broadcaster RFI, a joint Nigerien-American patrol was ambushed near the
village of Tongo Tongo, approximately 17 miles from the border with
Mali.
“U.S. Forces are in Niger to provide training
and security assistance to the Nigerien Armed Forces, including support
for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) efforts, in
their efforts to target violent extremist organizations in the region,”
said U.S. Navy Lt. Cdr. Anthony Falvo, in a statement released to NBC
News. “One aspect of that is training, advising and assisting the
Nigeriens in order to increase their ability to bring stability and
security to their people.”
A senior military official described it as a "partner training mission."
Northern Mali has been the scene of a complex
conflict between multiple Islamist militant groups, including Al Qaeda
in the Islamic Maghreb (or AQIM), a secular insurgency backed by the
Tuareg ethnic minority group, and government forces backed by the West,
primarily France.
If the reports about the location of the
casualties are correct, it would indicate a coordinated attack
undertaken from territory most recently under the control of the
Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, known by its French
acronym, MUJAO.
Although the United States is known to operate
a drone base in Niger and also has forces assigned to counter-Boko
Haram operations in the east of the country, this is the first known
incident in which American forces have been killed in combat with
Mali-based militants.
Much of the American military involvement in
Africa is conducted by U.S. Army Special Forces — also known as Green
Berets — who work with local militaries in an effort to professionalize
their forces under programs dubbed “advise and assist” by the Pentagon.
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