US army vehicle damaged in mine explosion in Niger

A US army vehicle was damaged in a mine explosion in western Niger, but there were no fatalities, and the US military was investigating whether the incident was hostile, embassy and local security forces said yesterday.

The incident occurred in Ouallam in the Tillaberi region, not far from the border with Mali, where four US soldiers and five Niger soldiers were killed in an ambush in 2017, according to the sources. “A US mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicle was damaged in Niger” on Saturday, the US embassy in Niamey said in a statement.

Ouallam is located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Niamey and is home to a major training camp of the Nigerien army where soldiers are trained to participate in the UN Mission in Mali, known as Minusma. “The incident occurred outside a weapons range, so it is possible that non-hostile factors were the cause of the damage,” it said.