Three US Army special operations commandos killed in Niger

3 US Army special forces killed in Niger

Ed: This story was moved earlier; With AP Photos.

LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - US officials say that three special forces in the US were killed on Wednesday, and two more people were injured when they fell under fire in the southwest of the Niger.

Officials said that the two wounded were taken to the capital of Niamey and are in stable condition. Officials were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, so they spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the officials, the commando, who was a "green beret", was most likely attacked by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb militants.

In a statement, the US command of the US stated that the forces were with a joint patrol of the United States and Nigeria north of Niamey, near the border with Mali, when they were exposed to hostile fire.

The African Command reported that the US forces are in Niger to ensure the training and security of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in their efforts against violent extremists.

The White House said that President Donald Trump was notified of the attack on Wednesday night when he was flying on board the Air Force One from Las Vegas to Washington. Trump was in Las Vegas, meeting with the victims of the shooting on Sunday evening, along with the first defendants and doctors