Three U.S. soldiers killed in ambush in Niger

An ambush attack in Niger on Wednesday killed three U.S. soldiers and injured two others, the U.S. Africa Command confirmed Thursday. The attack marks the first time American soldiers in the country have died as a result of the conflict. The command center said the attack occurred as U.S. service members provided counterterrorism assistance to the Nigerien security force, about 120 miles north of the capital city, Niamey. Another soldier from a partner nation also died during the attack, military officials said. They transferred the injured soldiers in stable condition to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the fallen service members,” the command’s public affairs department said in a statement. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the terror group’s North African affiliate, has maintained a presence and conducted several raids within the region where the attack occurred. The U.S. military in Niger offers training and security assistance to the Nigerian forces as they battle against the al-Qaeda affiliate and Boko Haram terrorists from neighboring Nigeria.