A 27-year-old American citizen, Philip Walton abducted last week in in Niger, has been rescued during a high-risk U.S. military raid in Northern part of Nigeria.
Reports state that the mission was undertaken by elite commandos as part of a major effort to free the U.S. citizen before his abductors could get far after taking him captive in Niger on Oct. 26. The operation involved the governments of the U.S., Niger and Nigeria working together to rescue Walton quickly.
It is reported that the elite SEAL Team Six carried out the rescue mission and killed all but one of the seven captors, according to officials with direct knowledge about the operation.
Meanwhile, in a statement the Pentagon lauded the rescue mission in a statement.”U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men. American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State.
No U.S military personnel were injured during the operation. We appreciate the support of our international partners in conducting this operation,” said Pentagon chief spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman.
