A Few More Details Emerge On The Ambush That Left Four U.S. Army Soldiers Dead In Niger

A grainy picture of one of Berry Aviation's Twin Otters at an unknown location. Berry Aviation

Warzone/The Drive: US Military Reveals Contractors Flew to the Rescue in Niger, but Little Else

Details about an ambush in the West Africa country and what American personnel were doing there remain scant. Here's what we know.

Additional details that have emerged regarding an ambush in southwest Niger that left four U.S. Army soldiers dead continue to prompt more questions than they answer about the incident. The top American headquarters for military operations on the continent, U.S. Africa Command, has now confirmed that private contractors helped casualties evacuate the area afterwards, but has again declined to elaborate on the U.S.-Nigerien patrol's overall objectives or who is responsible for the attack.

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WNU Editor: The role that contractors play when supporting U.S. military operations and deployments in far-away places has always been an under-reported stories. At least in this case we have a little insight in how they are employed in assisting U.S. interests when things go wrong. The only criticism that I have of this article is that it telegraphs to U.S. enemies abroad on what is the U.S. medical response time from these contractors when things go wrong (i.e. 3 hours .... 1 hour if given a heads-up).