U.S. troops engaged in an undisclosed firefight with Islamic State militants in Niger two months after American troops were killed in the African nation, the U.S. military acknowledged on Wednesday.
Pentagon spokeswoman Maj. Sheryll Klinkel said in a statement to CNN that “during a mission in the Lake Chad Basin region the morning of Dec. 6, a combined force of Nigerien and US military members came under fire from a formation of violent extremists.”
A firefight reportedly ensued, leaving 11 militants dead, according to CNN. The firefight was first reported by The New York Times.
According to the Times, no American or Nigerien forces were harmed in the battle. A spokeswoman for U.S. Africa Command did not explain in a statement to the Times why the December firefight was not disclosed at the time.
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