Five Nigerien soldiers and three US Army special forces troops have been killed and two wounded in an ambush on a joint patrol in southwest Niger, officials say.
The five Green Berets were attacked on Wednesday while on a routine patrol in an area known to have a presence of insurgents, including from al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State, a US official told Reuters.
It was unclear who fired on the US and US-backed forces, the official said.
Those forces were not patrolling the area with any specific objective, such as a high-value target or rescuing a hostage, the official added.
A spokesman for US Africa Command confirmed the attack after Radio France International reported a lethal ambush near the Niger-Mali border.
A Niger diplomatic source said the attackers had come from Mali and had killed several soldiers, without saying whether any of the US troops stationed in the West African country were among the victims.
US President Donald Trump was briefed by telephone on the attack by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly while Trump flew back on Air Force One from Las Vegas, where he had been visiting victims and first responders affected by Sunday's mass shooting.
RFI said earlier on Wednesday a counter-attack was underway.
