Three US soldiers have been killed and two others wounded in an ambush in Niger near the border with Mali, the US Africa Command has said.
Another soldier from a "partner nation" had also died in the attack, it said - without specifying their nationality.
The US soldiers with few Nigerian soldiers had been providing advice and assistance in Niger's counter-terror operations and come under "hostile fire", it said. Islamist militants, including al-Qaeda fighters, operate in the region.
They are most active in neighbouring Mali, where French troops intervened in 2013 to prevent them from advancing on the capital. The Boko Haram group, based in Nigeria to the south, has also staged several attacks in Niger.
US President Donald Trump has been briefed by his chief-of-staff, John Kelly, about the attack, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.The attack happened 200km (124 miles) north of Niamey, the capital of Niger, the US Africa Command statement said.
The two injured US soldiers had been evacuated to the Landstuhul Regional Medical Centre in Germany and were in a stable condition, it added.
According to the New York Times, those killed were special forces soldiers and were the first Americans to die as a result of hostile fire since the US Africa Command deployed in Niger.
Earlier, an official from Niger's Tillaberi region told Reuters that five Nigerien soldiers were among the dead.
At the time of reporting it is not clear who fired on the soldiers.
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The Pentagon has not disclosed the troops’ names or service affiliation, pending notification of their families. Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, confirmed for The Washington Post that those involved were assigned to an elite Special Forces unit.
Another soldier from a "partner nation" had also died in the attack, it said - without specifying their nationality.
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| Nigerian soldiers in joint training with the US soldiers before their death. |
They are most active in neighbouring Mali, where French troops intervened in 2013 to prevent them from advancing on the capital. The Boko Haram group, based in Nigeria to the south, has also staged several attacks in Niger.
US President Donald Trump has been briefed by his chief-of-staff, John Kelly, about the attack, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said.The attack happened 200km (124 miles) north of Niamey, the capital of Niger, the US Africa Command statement said.
The two injured US soldiers had been evacuated to the Landstuhul Regional Medical Centre in Germany and were in a stable condition, it added.
According to the New York Times, those killed were special forces soldiers and were the first Americans to die as a result of hostile fire since the US Africa Command deployed in Niger.
Earlier, an official from Niger's Tillaberi region told Reuters that five Nigerien soldiers were among the dead.
At the time of reporting it is not clear who fired on the soldiers.
READ ALSO: Nigeria army launches free...
The Pentagon has not disclosed the troops’ names or service affiliation, pending notification of their families. Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations, confirmed for The Washington Post that those involved were assigned to an elite Special Forces unit.
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