The team of U.S. soldiers that were ambushed attacked in Niger this month, which led to the deaths of four soldiers, was reportedly collecting intelligence on a terrorist leader when they came under fire.
Two military officials told CNN the 12-man U.S. Army team did not have orders to kill or capture the terrorist leader.
Four soldiers were killed and two others were wounded when their team and a partner force of 30 Nigeriens were ambushed by roughly 50 Islamic State-affiliated fighters on Oct. 4.
The deadly ambush has raised questions over what the U.S. is doing in the country and how much protection the soldiers had when they were conducting the mission.
Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday the soldiers were returning to their operating base after conducting a routine visit to a village when they were attacked by the fighters.
One hour after the ambush began, the soldiers requested air support, Dunford said. He said it’s likely the soldiers waited to request backup because they initially believed they had the situation under control.
“We shouldn’t conclude anything by that one hour,” Dunford said. “I’ve been in these situations myself where you’re confronted with enemy contact, your initial assessment is you can deal with that contact with the resources that you have, and at some point in the firefight, they concluded they then needed support, and so they called for additional support.”
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Friday amid questions about the ambush. The Department of Defense has also launched an investigation into the attack in Niger.
“We owe you more information,” Dunford said Monday. “More importantly, we owe the families of the fallen more information, and that’s what the investigation is designed to identify.”
