{"id":62460,"date":"2018-05-17T20:28:32","date_gmt":"2018-05-17T20:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/17\/pentagon-releases-extended-video-of-niger-ambush\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:18:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:18:24","slug":"pentagon-releases-extended-video-of-niger-ambush","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/05\/17\/pentagon-releases-extended-video-of-niger-ambush\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentagon releases extended video of ambush on US-Nigerien forces"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pentagon released an extended video Thursday of its re-creation of the Niger attack last October that took the lives of four service members<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

The Pentagon released an extended video Thursday of its re-creation of the Niger attack<\/a> last October that took the lives of four US service members, revealing new details about the soldiers\u2019 final minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The extended video included key details not provided in the Pentagon\u2019s initial report on the attack<\/a>, including that many of the surviving U.S. troops did not expect to live through the attack and \u201cwrote short messages to loved ones on personal devices, believing they would soon be overrun,\u201d the video said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were 46 personnel involved: eight U.S. Special Forces, two Special Forces support soldiers, one U.S. intelligence contractor, one Nigerien interpreter, a three-man Nigerien reconnaissance team and 31 supporting Nigerien soldiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The whole operation was spurred by drone surveillance received Oct. 2 that led officials to believe a high-ranking Islamic State-Grand Sahara militant was going to be in the vicinity of Tiloa, Niger. <\/p>\n\n\n\t