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BREAKING 3 US troops killed in ambush in Niger
3 US troops killed in ambush in Niger
Story highlights
- The US military has maintained a small presence in the northwest African country
- Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has maintained a presence in the Mali-Niger border area
(CNN)Three
members of the US Special Operations Forces were killed and two others
were wounded in southwest Niger near the Mali-Niger border when a joint
US-Nigerien patrol was attacked Wednesday, two administration officials
told CNN.
The
administration officials added that the two wounded US troops had been
evacuated to the capital, Niamey, and would soon be moved to Germany.
They were described by the officials as being in a "stable condition."
The officials cautioned that this was still an early assessment.
The US troops were part of a team advising and assisting local forces when they were attacked.
US
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Falvo, a spokesman for Africa Command, which
oversees US operations in the region, told CNN late Wednesday that "a
joint US and Nigerien patrol came under hostile fire in southwest
Niger," but said that the military was still "working to confirm details
on the incident."
President
Donald Trump was briefed on the attack by by chief of staff John Kelly,
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Wednesday night.
The
US military has maintained a small presence in the northwest African
country with small groups of US Special Operations Forces advising local
troops as they battle two terrorist groups, the ISIS affiliated Boko
Haram and al Qaeda's North African branch, al Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb.
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has maintained a presence in
the Mali-Niger border area, despite a multi-year French-led military
counterterrorism effort, Operation Barkhane, which began in 2014.
The
US military has largely played a supporting role, providing
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets in support French
forces operating in Mali and Niger. The French operation involves
thousands of French troops as well as forces from Germany, Mali, Niger
and other countries in the region.
"US
forces are in Niger to provide training and security assistance to the
Nigerien Armed Forces, including support for intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance efforts, in their efforts to target violent extremist
organizations in the region," Falvo said, adding "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."
The
US is also in the process of establishing a new drone base just outside
the city of Agadez in Niger in an effort to bolster regional
counterterrorism efforts.
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