![]() pickup trucks, taking enemy fire as they progressed forward, suddenly realized the Land Cruiser was nowhere to be seen and were unable to make contact with the vehicle. ![]() But as the fight intensified, the group of Americans and Nigeriens decided to get out of the "kill zone" and move forward approximately 200 yards. "We're not leaving these guys behind"Īs they took fire, Americans in a lead position got out of their vehicle to return fire, the official said. intelligence source, the more than 50 ISIS-linked fighters who attacked the convoy appeared to be a well-trained, seasoned force who used machine guns, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades. The Americans were in three of those vehicles, which consisted of two pickup trucks equipped with machine guns and an unarmed Land Cruiser.Īccording to a senior U.S. The team of 12 Americans and 30 Nigerien soldiers were departing the village of Tongo Tongo in six to eight vehicles when they faced what sources close to the investigation described as a sophisticated ambush on either side of a tree-lined road. However, the Niger ambush aftermath triggered some questions and led to the policy and tactics changes of Special Operations forces in Africa.— - Nearly one month after the deadly ambush in Niger that killed four American soldiers, ABC News has learned new details about how the attack unfolded on October 4, including how a small group of Americans went back into the firefight to locate a vehicle that had become separated from the group. Michael Perozeni, the junior officer who led the mission, initially was reprimanded but successfully appealed his punishment, the New York Times reported in June. Marcus Hicks also was reprimanded for a lack of oversight on his subordinate officers, along with several other officers.Ĭapt. The commanding officer of Special Operations forces in Africa Maj. But he said such an assessment was connected to a training event that happened before he assumed command of the Alpha Company.īut Saun wasn’t the only one who was reprimanded following the investigation. In the article, he described how he put all of his faith in the Army and its policies and procedures to get to the bottom of what had happened.Īfter a 14-month long investigation into the matter, Saun was formally reprimanded for failing to adequately train his operators for the deployment. Instead, I Was Punished.” published in the “At War” section of the New York Times, he detailed how his trust in the Army deteriorated because of the incident. In his opinion-edge article “After the Niger Ambush, I Trusted the Army to Find Answers. Bryan Black, told Army Times on Friday.Īt the time of the ambush, Alan Van Saun was company commander for Alpha Company in the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Special Forces Group. “The team reportedly assessed that it was a mission that they shouldn’t have executed, and once in the ambush, they fought well and the lesson learned is to listen to the commander on the ground and go with their recommendation, unless there is an overriding operational reason that you just have to do it,” Henry Black, the father of fallen Green Beret Staff Sgt. The statement was also supported by Black’s brother and Johnson’s widow. Black, as well as Black’s mother and widow, released a joint statement on Friday. Africa Command handled the investigation.nThe fathers of Staff Sgt. Two years later, family members of three of the fallen are not satisfied with how U.S. No fewer than 17 vigilantes in the Dukku town of the Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State were, on Wednesday, ambushed and killed by bandits. ![]() 4, 2017, by militants believed linked to the Islamic State group. All four were killed in Niger, when a joint patrol of American and Niger forces was ambushed on Oct. ![]() In an ambush and a firefight which followed, 4 Green Berets were killed and 5 Nigerien soldiers. Instead of that, 11 Green Berets and 30 Nigerien special forces operators were headed to the village with vehicles. ![]() In plan A, they were supposed to infiltrate village with a helicopter, alongside Nigerien partner forces, but due to the weather issues, they didn’t proceed. ![]()
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