Pentagon Preparing For Possible Evacuation Of Niger Drone Bases

Task & Purpose: U.S. military preparing for possible evacuation of Niger drone bases  

Roughly 1,100 U.S. troops are deployed to Niger. 

 The U.S. military is making plans to evacuate its drone bases in Niger, but no such order is imminent, said Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces Europe/Africa.

“We are doing a lot of prudent planning, but right now we’re not going anywhere, and we don’t plan to go anywhere until we’re told to go anywhere,” Hecker told reporters on Friday. “And right now, there’s not a need to go anywhere, so our civilian leadership is just saying, ‘Hey, hang tight, and continue planning in case something happens.’ And we’ll be ready if something happens, but hopefully this thing gets done politically, diplomatically with no bloodshed.” 

Read more ....  

Update: US readying plans to evacuate drone bases if necessary under Niger’s new junta, commander says (AP)  

WNU Editor: I would be surprised if the U.S. abandons Niger right now. They have invested too much in Niger to just walk away. There is also enormous pressure on Washington from France and American allies in Africa to get more actively involved in reversing the coup in Niger. 

Bottom line.

A quick US departure right now would not only galvanize those who support the coup in Niger, but stop any plan by ECOWAS to intervene with military forces and reinstate the previous government.

Secretary of State Blinken Says US Supports ECOWAS Efforts To Bring Back Order In Niger

 

Financial Times: Blinken backs West African efforts to restore Niger’s constitutional order  

US secretary of state’s comments come after his deputy was denied a meeting with the leader of last month’s coup 

US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Washington supported West African efforts to restore constitutional order in Niger, whose neighbours have threatened military action unless the new ruling junta reverses last month’s coup. 

Niger’s democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum was deposed last month by the head of his own presidential guard, General Omar Tchiani, the latest coup in a volatile region that removed one of its few pro-western leaders.  

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WNU Editor: There is a growing understanding that ECOWAS is not ready to military intervene .... Analysis: Nigeria 'cannot afford' ECOWAS military intervention in Niger (France 24). 

More News On The Crisis In Niger

Niger coup: Wagner taking advantage of instability - Antony Blinken -- BBC  

Niger Junta Rebuffs Diplomatic Overtures Backed by US, UN -- Reuters 

US says it has 'direct contact' with Niger's coup leaders but the conversations are 'difficult' -- ABC News  

West African Leaders Will Meet Thursday After Niger’s Junta Defies Key Deadline and Shuts Airspace -- AP  

ECOWAS calls for second emergency summit to discuss Niger coup -- Al Jazeera

U.S. Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Held 'Difficult' Talks With Niger's Junta Officials

U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Public Affairs Victoria Nuland attends a news conference at the Presidential Palace in Nicosia © Thomson Reuters 

Reuters: Top US official traveled to Niger and held 'difficult' talks with junta officials 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. State Department's acting No. 2 traveled to Niger and held talks on Monday with senior officials from the country's junta which seized power last month, but made no progress in meetings she described as "difficult". 

U.S. Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was in Niamey, she told reporters in a call, and met with Moussa Salaou Barmou, the self-proclaimed defense chief of Niger's junta and three other colonels supporting him. 

Washington offered ways to restore democratic order, Nuland said, but the junta officials showed little interest. The U.S. side conveyed what is at stake in terms of economic assistance and other aid if the situation is not reversed, she added.  

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WNU Editor: They refused her request to meet the deposed President .... Junta leaders in Niger refuse to let top US official meet ousted president (The Guardian). More here .... Niger coup leaders refuse to let senior U.S. diplomat meet with deposed president (Politico). 

U.S. Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Held 'Difficult' Talks With Niger's Junta Officials  

Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland on the Situation in Niger -- US Department of State  

Niger coup: US envoy holds 'difficult' talks with junta -- BBC  

Acting US deputy secretary of state meets with military junta members in Niger -- CNN  

Niger coup leaders refuse to let senior U.S. diplomat meet with nation's president -- AP  

Niger coup leaders refuse to let senior US diplomat meet with nation's president -- Canadian Press 

US diplomat visits Niger to meet coup leaders, push for Bazoum’s release -- Al Jazeera

US Troops Told To Stay In Their Bases As The Coup Unfolds In Niger

In this April 2018 file photo, US and Niger flags are raised side by side at the base camp for air forces and other personnel supporting the construction of Niger Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger.  

CNN: US troops restricted to American base in Niger 

US troops in Niger have been restricted to the American military base in Agadez, Niger, as the Biden administration works to restore democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum to power. 

A US military official said the approximately 1,000 troops were “retrograded” back to the base last week, shortly after Bazoum was seized by members of the presidential guard on Wednesday. 

The US has not yet formally decided if the situation constitutes a coup – a designation that would require the US to cut foreign and military assistance to the Nigerien government, which could have serious consequences for the fight against terrorism and stability in the region. There is no timeframe in which the US is required to make a coup designation.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The U.S. position on the coup in Niger is "complicated" .... Biden administration unwilling to call Niger coup a ‘coup’ (Poltiico). 

Before the coup NBC News was given access last week to how the US military trains Niger's army (see video below). 

Why Are African Military Commanders Trained By The U.S. Launching Coups In Africa?

Lt. Gen. Johnathan Braga, U.S. Army Special Operations commander, meets with Brig. Gen. Moussa Barmou, Niger Special Operations Forces commander, at Air Base 101, in Niger, on June 12, 2023. Photo: Staff Sgt. Amy Younger/US Air Force  

The Intercept: Niger Coup Leader Joins Long Line of U.S.-Trained Mutineers  

Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, who trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, helped oust Niger’s democratically elected president. 

Brig. gen. Moussa salaou barmou, the chief of Niger’s Special Operations Forces and one of the leaders of the unfolding coup in Niger, was trained by the U.S. military, The Intercept has confirmed. U.S.-trained military officers have taken part in 11 coups in West Africa since 2008. 

“We have had a very long relationship with the United States,” Barmou said in 2021. “Being able to work together in this capacity is very good for Niger.” Just last month, Barmou met with Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, the head of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, at Air Base 201, a drone base in the Nigerian city of Agadez that serves as the lynchpin of an archipelago of U.S. outposts in West Africa. 

On Wednesday, Barmou, who trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the National Defense University in Washington, joined a junta that ousted Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s democratically elected president, according to Nigerien sources and a U.S. government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.  

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WNU Editor: Including Niger, there has been 6 coups in the Sahel in the past few years .... Military mutiny in Niger comes after string of coups across region (Washington Post).

A U.S. Air Force Base In Niger Just Got Bigger

A general overview of the main facilities at the new US air base in Agadez as of July 2019. The three existing hangars and the new construction next to them are visible just below the runway. Google Earth

Warzone/The Drive: The Air Force's New Base In Niger Is Getting A Major Addition Before It Even Opens

Satellite imagery shows work on a new hangar with a separate apron and taxiway as the base gets set to open for flying operations later this year.

Satellite imagery shows the U.S. military is building a new approximately 20,800-square foot hangar along with its own 100,000-square foot apron and associated taxiway at its new air base outside of the city of Agadez in central Niger. The American facilities in Agadez, which will form an important regional hub for U.S. military operations in Northwest Africa, have been actively under construction since 2016. The new runway, while complete, isn't slated to open for actual operations until some time this fall.

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WNU Editor: This part of Africa is a hotbed for radical Islamist groups. It looks like the U.S. is ready to escalate the fight.

Is The New U.S. Drone Base In Niger Worth The Cost?

Akhilesh Pillalamarri, Defense News: Is the new US drone base in Niger worth the cost?

For decades, large parts of Africa have been home to local radicals and militants. But these local radicals do not present a direct threat to U.S. national security — so does their mere existence justify the construction of a new drone base that has a price tag of $100 million?

The cost of operating the facility, located in the middle of the Sahara desert in Agadez, Niger, is estimated at $30 million a year. By the end of the 10-year agreement for the use of the site in 2024, named Nigerien Air Base 201, the U.S. will have spent around $280 million.

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WNU Editor: Are the militants in the region a threat to the U.S.? The above commentator believes not. In my opinion .... I am not sure. But I do agree that we should have a debate on what are our goals in this part of Africa, to define our objectives, and to explain to the public on what needs to be done. Conducting foreign policy without public input has not worked out well for the U.S. since 9/11, doubly so in places like Niger.

Pentagon Releases New Video That Shows U.S. Forces Desperately Trying To Escape A Niger Ambush

Warzone/The Drive: We've Posted The Pentagon's Entire Moment-By-Moment Niger Ambush Video Briefing

The high-quality video presentation shows friendly fire, French forces racing to the rescue, and contractor helicopters recovering the fallen.

The Pentagon recently disclosed the findings from its months-long investigation into an ambush in the West African country of Niger that left four Americans dead and the circumstances that led up that incident. Now, it has decided to release a nearly 23-minute long, unclassified video presentation that combines a digital recreation of the events with both file footage of U.S. military activities in Africa and actual photographs and clips from the mission itself.

Based on the video's actual filename, the U.S. produced the presentation on March 9, 2018, more than two months before it briefed the public on the results of its review of the ambush, which occurred on Oct. 4, 2017, and crafted more than seven different iterations of visual briefing before settling on this one. The Pentagon has made the video available to the press directly on request, but has not put a full copy online itself.

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WNU Editor: I have see a lot of military/combat/etc. videos over the years, but the above 23 minute Pentagon video (the second one) is one the most riveting that I have seen in a long time.

More News On The Pentagon's Newest Video That Shows U.S. Forces Desperately Trying To Escape A Niger Ambush

Newly released Niger ambush video: American survivors sent final messages to loved ones -- Stars and Stripes
New Niger Ambush Video: US Survivors Left Messages for Loved Ones -- Military.com
Video shows US forces desperately trying to escape Niger ambush -- The Guardian
More US Troops In Niger Were Nearly Wiped Out During Ambush And Chaotic Rescue -- Task & Purpose
WATCH: Pentagon Reveals Dramatic Last Moments of Cornered US Forces in Niger -- Sputnik

Pentagon Releases Niger Ambush Report

Daily Mail: Poor training, forged documents, lack of rehearsals… Pentagon investigation reveals a catalogue of mistakes leading up to the deadly Niger ambush that killed four Americans

* A Pentagon report released Thursday revealed multiple failures are to blame for the Niger ambush that killed four US service members last October
* The team sent after an ISIS insurgent was found to be largely under prepared
* Its mission ended in an hour-long firefight near the Mali border
* Staff Sgt Dustin Wright, 29; Staff Sgt Bryan Black, 35; Staff Sgt Jeremiah Johnson, 39; and Sgt LaDavid Johnson were killed on October 4
* The report identified several individual, organizational, and institutional failures
* Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, head of US Africa Command, took full responsibility

The Pentagon said multiple failures are to blame for the Niger ambush that killed four US service members last October.

The report summary released Thursday cites insufficient training and preparation as well as the team's deliberate decision to go after a high-level Islamic State group insurgent without proper command approval.

The families of the four men killed by ISIS in the ambush last fall have said they were 'abandoned' and 'left on their own' by US commanders who made poor decisions.

In a press conference, head of US Africa command Gen. Thomas Waldhauser took full responsibility for the events and was instructed to make several improvements to the organization.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The summary of the report is here .... OCT 2017 NIGER AMBUSH (SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION)

More News On The Pentagon Releasing Its Niger Ambush Report

Niger Report Highlights Bravery of U.S. Troops, Notes Training, Planning Deficiencies -- US Department of Defense
Pentagon: Systemic problems led to deadly Niger ambush -- Stars and Stripes
Overrun and outnumbered, special ops soldiers fought to the end in deadly Niger ambush -- Military Times
Multiple failures led to ambush of American soldiers in Niger: military investigation -- ABC News
Military investigation finds series of failures led to deadly Niger ambush -- CNN
Pentagon probe finds training, command issues in Niger ambush -- AFP
Niger ambush that killed 4 US soldiers blamed on multiple failures, Pentagon says -- FOX News
Poor Training, Excessive Risk Led to Ill-Fated Niger Mission, Pentagon Says -- Wall Street Journal
Pentagon Report: Multiple Failures Led To Deaths Of 4 Troops In Niger -- NPR
General takes 'ownership' of Niger ambush that killed four -- USA Today
4 Soldiers Fought To Their Deaths In Niger Ambush, Pentagon Now Says -- Task & Purpose

Pentagon To Release Report On Niger Ambush That Killed 4 US Special Forces Soldiers Last Year

Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, Sgt. La David T. Johnson, and Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright. (U.S. Army photos)

Military.com: Pentagon to Release Controversial Report on Niger Ambush That Killed 4

The Pentagon is releasing Thursday a redacted version of the lengthy Niger ambush investigation that is expected to focus on the command and tactical decisions that led to the deaths of four members of the Army's Third Special Forces Group.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has said the Article 15-6 fact-finding investigation is thousands of pages long. Pentagon officials said the report would include an animated video of what happened on the joint patrol with Nigerien troops near the village of Tongo Tongo in northwestern Niger last Oct. 4.

Read more ....

Update: Pentagon to Release Details of Niger Ambush, Response (US News and World Report/AP)

WNU Editor: WNU will update this story once the report is released.

Is The Pentagon Hiding From Congress Its True Mission In A Niger Ambush Last October That Ended In The Deaths Of Four U.S. Soldiers?

A U.S. Army Special Forces weapons sergeant observes as a Nigerien soldier bounds forward while practicing buddy team movement drills during Exercise Flintlock 2017 in Diffa, Niger, March 11, 2017. (Spc. Zayid Ballesteros/Army)

Defense News: Did military hide the real mission of the Niger ambush from Congress?

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine is accusing the military of hiding from Congress its true mission in a Niger ambush last October that ended in the deaths of four American Green Berets.

Following a classified briefing from senior Defense Department officials to the Senate Armed Services Committee, senators confirmed the fatal mission had been to “capture-or-kill” a target and not simply a training activity with local forces.

“That was a very explosive briefing,” said Kaine, D-Va. “I have deep questions on whether the military is following instructions and limitations that Congress has laid down about the mission of these troops in Africa, and I’ve had those questions, and I think this hearing raised a lot more in a pretty explosive way.”

Kaine questioned whether the legal authorization to conduct a train-and-equip missions in Niger is “a fig leaf,” and said the briefing, “raises questions about why people are hiding from us what they’re doing.”

Asked whether he thinks the military is hiding what it is doing in Niger, he said only, “Yeah.”

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WNU Editor: I have trouble believing that these Senators were in the dark on what the U.S. has been doing in Niger. This blog has been covering the U.S. military presence in Niger for the past few years, and it was/is always been obvious to me that the reason why the U.S. were there (with such large numbers) was to monitor and track down Islamic militants.

U.S. Drone Base In Niger Is Half-Finished

New York Times: A Shadowy War’s Newest Front: A Drone Base Rising From Saharan Dust

AIR BASE 201, Niger — Rising from a barren stretch of African scrubland, a half-finished drone base represents the newest front line in America’s global shadow war.

At its center, hundreds of Air Force personnel are feverishly working to complete a $110 million airfield that, when finished in the coming months, will be used to stalk or strike extremists deep into West and North Africa, a region where most Americans have no idea the country is fighting.

Near the nascent runway, Army Green Berets are training Nigerien forces to carry out counterterrorism raids or fend off an enemy ambush — like the one that killed four American soldiers near the Mali border last fall.

Taken together, these parallel missions reflect a largely undeclared American military buildup outside the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, often with murky authorities and little public attention, unfolding in remote places like Yemen, Somalia and, increasingly, West Africa.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Niger's Defense Minister wants these drones to be armed .... Niger Defense Minister Wants The U.S. To Deploy Armed Drones Against Militants (November 1, 2017).

U.S. Troops Have Been Involved In More Firefights In Niger Than Previously Revealed

Nigerien Army soldiers conducting an exercise last month. After four American soldiers were killed in an October ambush, the United States imposed additional safety measures to protect troops on missions helping local forces in Niger. But the missions did not end. Credit Finbarr O'Reilly for The New York Times

New York Times: U.S. Kept Silent About Its Role in Another Firefight in Niger

WASHINGTON — Green Berets working with government forces in Niger killed 11 Islamic State militants in a firefight in December, the American military acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday. The battle occurred two months after four United States soldiers died in an ambush in another part of Niger — and after senior commanders had imposed stricter limits on military missions in the West African country.

No American or Nigerien forces were harmed in the December gun battle. But the combat — along with at least 10 other previously unreported attacks on American troops in West Africa between 2015 and 2017 — indicates that the deadly Oct. 4 ambush was not an isolated episode in a nation where the United States is building a major drone base.

After the ambush, senior officers at United States Africa Command, which oversees American military operations on the continent, imposed additional measures to enhance the safety of troops on missions that were designed to train and advise local forces in Niger.

But the missions did not end.

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Update: US Special Forces troops previously killed 11 ISIS fighters in an undisclosed firefight in Niger (Business Insider)

WNU Editor:  I'm sure Niger is not the only place where these firefights have happened.

A New U.S. Drone Base In Niger

Aerial view of the American drone base in Agadez, Niger, on June 4, 2017. Photo: Google Earth

USA Today: Why the U.S. military is building a drone base in Niger

On Oct. 4, 2017, nine soldiers were killed in a convoy leaving the village of Tongo Tongo in Niger.

Four of those soldiers were American.

The tragedy shocked Americans and Nigeriens alike — most people weren’t even aware that there were U.S. soldiers on the ground.

It turns out that U.S. Special Forces have been in the country since at least 2013. Their main charge is training Nigerien soldiers, but they’re also on the ground, stationed at the country’s borders and fighting groups like Boko Haram and al-Qaeda.

French, German, and Italian soldiers are also stationed in Niger, focused on human traffickers as hundreds of thousands of migrants make their way through Niger into Libya to attempt the crossing into Europe.

Despite political firestorms in Washington and Niamey, the capital of Niger, it looks like U.S. troops are planning to stay. They’re set to open a $110 million drone base in the city of Agadez later this year.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: For more information on this new U.S. drone base in Niger, go here .... A Massive US Drone Base Could Destabilize Niger — and May Even Be Illegal Under Its Constitution (The Intercept). The Intercept did a follow-up article .... US Military Opened Secretive Drone Base to Visitors (After The Intercept Wrote About It) (The Intercept).

ISIS Releases Propaganda Video That Shows U.S. Soldiers Under Attack In Niger

A framegrab of the propaganda video released by ISIS. CBS News

CBS: ISIS propaganda video shows U.S. soldiers under attack in Niger

WASHINGTON -- The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) released a propaganda video Sunday to show how supposedly invincible they are. CBS News chose to air parts of the video that the militants captured from a helmet camera worn by one of the four soldiers killed in the ambush in Niger on Oct. 4, 2017 (please note: Viewer discretion is advised).

The Pentagon has yet to release a full account of the ambush, and we do not know if the enemy somehow doctored the video, but the video shows in a way no words can express just how outgunned and cut off the Americans were.

They were returning from what was supposed to have been a low-risk patrol made up of 11 American and 30 Nigerian soldiers when the ambush hit. At first, they tried to take cover behind their SUV. With one of the soldiers at the wheel, they ran alongside, attempting to escape the kill zone.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The media should not be posting this video.

More News On ISIS Releasing A Propaganda Video That Shows U.S. Soldiers Under Attack In Niger

IS video 'shows deaths of US soldiers in Niger ambush' -- BBC
ISIS: Video shows U.S. soldier deaths in Niger -- USA Today
Niger attack video released by IS shows group's 'depravity': Pentagon -- AFP
IS video of Niger attack highlights US troops' vulnerability -- AFP
ISIS uses US Special Forces helmet cam in twisted propaganda video -- FOX News
ISIS releases video claiming to show attack on US troops in Niger -- The Hill
Islamic State releases a video of deadly attack on US soldiers in Niger -- Virginian-Pilot
Pentagon says media 'complicit' by posting ISIS ambush video -- Politico
The Islamic State released a video of a deadly attack of US soldiers. Here's why it matters. -- Washington Post

U.S. Military Investigating Suspected ISIS Video On Twitter Of Dead American Soldiers in Niger Ambush

An honor guard carries the coffin of U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson, who was among four special forces soldiers killed in Niger, at a graveside service in Hollywood, Florida, Oct. 21, 2017.

VOA: US Military Probes Twitter Post Claiming to Show US Troops Killed in Niger

PENTAGON — The U.S. military is reviewing images posted on the social media site Twitter that claim to show dead American soldiers killed during an ambush in Niger last year.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said Wednesday it is "aware of the post on Twitter" and is reviewing it to determine "the veracity of the tweet and the assertions that there is an associated video."

The post says the images are from a more than 10-minute-long video broadcast by an affiliate of the Islamic State in Mali. The post adds that the video shows a wounded American soldier and the bodies of the three other U.S. soldiers who were killed in the October 4 ambush.

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More News On The U.S. Military Investigating A Suspected ISIS Video On Twitter Of Dead American Soldiers in Niger Ambush

US Military Investigating Suspected ISIS Video Of Dead American Soldiers in Niger Ambush -- Newsweek
US military examining tweeted photos allegedly showing US soldier killed in Niger ambush -- Washington Examiner
The US military is investigating images that allegedly show US soldiers targeted in Niger ambush -- Business Insider
AFRICOM investigates images depicting Niger ambush that killed four US soldiers -- Stars and Stripes

Armed US Drones Will Now Start Flying Over Niger

© U.S. Air Force / Reuters

CNN: US military is granted authority to arm its drones in Niger

(CNN)The government of Niger granted the US military the authority to arm its drones in Niger earlier this week, a US official told CNN Thursday.

US defense officials had previously told CNN that the US military had been seeking the authority to arm its drones in Niger for months prior to the October ambush of US forces there that left four soldiers dead.

One official said the effort to arm US drones in Niger had gained a greater sense urgency following the deadly attack.

Read more ....

More News On Niger Giving Permission To The U.S. On Flying Armed Drones

Armed US Drones to Start Flying Over Niger -- VOA
Niger approves use of armed US drones: report -- The Hill
US to arm drones flying in Niger -- Stars and Stripes
Niger approves armed US drones in the country to target militants -- Business Insider
Armed US drones to start flying combat missions over Niger – reports -- RT
Niger gives green light to armed American drones -- African Independent

U.S. Military Team In Niger Investigating The Attack That Killed 4 U.S. Soldiers

Speculation has abounded in the US media, but the Pentagon has remained tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the ambush as well as the nature of the mission. AFP

The Hill: On-site joint military team to investigate Niger attack: report

The U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) has dispatched a joint military team to investigate the Niger terrorist attack last month that left four American and four Nigerian soldiers dead, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

The U.S. and Niger militaries will interview residents around the village of Tongo Tongo and look into the circumstances that led to the soldiers' deaths on Oct. 4, AFRICOM told the newswire.

This joint investigation is part of a broader review being led by multiple agencies across the U.S., Africa and Europe that are looking to uncover how the ambush came about.

Read more ....

Update #1: US, Niger Teams Visit Site to Learn About Soldiers' Ambush (AP)
Update #2: US investigators return to scene of Niger ambush: military (AFP)

WNU Editor: Not the safest place to conduct an investigation.

Update: This is a must read .... Why Niger and Mali's cattle herders turned to jihad (Tim Cocks, David Lewis, Reuters).

Report: U.S. Soldier In Niger Ambush Was Bound And Apparently Executed

An honor guard carries the coffin of U.S. Army Sergeant La David Johnson. October 21, 2017. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

Washington Post: U.S. soldier in Niger ambush was bound and apparently executed, villagers say

NIAMEY, Niger — The body of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four U.S. soldiers killed in an ambush by Islamist militants in Niger last month, was found with his arms tied and a gaping wound at the back of his head, according to two villagers, suggesting that he may have been captured and then executed.

Adamou Boubacar, a 23-year-old farmer and trader, said some children tending cattle found the remains of the soldier Oct. 6, two days after the attack outside the remote Niger village of Tongo Tongo, which also left five Nigerien soldiers dead. The children notified him.

When Boubacar went to the location, a bushy area roughly a mile from the ambush site, he saw Johnson’s body lying face down, he said. The back of his head had been smashed by something, possibly a bullet, said Boubacar. The soldier’s wrists were bound with rope, he said, raising the possibility that the militants — whom the Pentagon suspects were affiliated with the Islamic State — seized Johnson during the firefight and held him captive.

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Update #1: Villagers say US soldier in Niger was bound, apparently executed -- The Hill
Update #2: Sgt. La David Johnson may have been captured, executed in Niger: Report (Washington Examiner)

WNU Editor: The Niger investigation will be completed by January .... Niger ambush investigation expected to be complete in January, Pentagon says (ABC News).

Local Troops Fled During Firefight When U.S. Special Forces Were Caught In An ISIS Ambush In Niger

CNN

The Guardian: US special forces 'fought Niger ambush alone after local troops fled'

Serving and retired officers say soldiers also tried to convince French jets to engage in incident in which four Green Berets died

The US special forces detachment ambushed in the Niger last month fought alone for hours after the local Nigerien forces they were accompanying fled in the first minutes of the engagement, retired and serving special forces officers with knowledge of events have said.

The trapped soldiers also made repeated efforts to convince French warplanes sent from neighbouring Mali to engage the enemy, attempting to “talk in” the pilots who refused to attack due to poor weather, rough terrain and an inability to differentiate friend from foe, the officers said.

Four US Green Berets and five Nigerien troops died in the incident, which has been the focus of an intense debate in Washington over the executive branch’s extensive powers to use military force abroad without congressional approval and with little oversight.

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WNU Editor: I guess the training did not include "not abandoning" your fellow soldier during a firefight.