https://abcnews.go.com/Interna...on/story?id=73940195

An American citizen abducted last week in Niger has been rescued during a high-risk U.S. military raid in neighboring Nigeria, officials told ABC News early Saturday.

The mission was undertaken by elite commandos as part of a major effort to free the U.S. citizen, Philip Walton, 27, before his abductors could get far after taking him captive in Niger on Oct. 26, counterterrorism officials told ABC News.

The operation involved the governments of the U.S., Niger and Nigeria working together to rescue Walton quickly, sources said. The CIA provided intelligence leading to Walton's whereabouts and Marine Special Operations elements in Africa helped locate him, a former U.S. official said.

Then the elite SEAL Team Six carried out a "precision" hostage rescue mission and killed all but one of the seven captors, according to officials with direct knowledge about the operation.

"They were all dead before they knew what happened," another counterterrorism source with knowledge told ABC News.

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," said Pentagon chief spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman. "This 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."

And Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said: "Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our military, the support of our intelligence professionals, and our diplomatic efforts, the hostage will be reunited with his family. We will never abandon any American taken hostage."

ABC News consultant Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense and retired CIA officer, said preparations for Walton's rescue likely started when he was abducted.

Walton lives with his wife and young daughter on a farm near Massalata, a small village close to the border with Nigeria.

Nigerien and American officials told ABC News that they believed the captors were from an armed group from Nigeria and that it was not considered terror-related. But hostages are often sold to terrorist groups.

Concern grew quickly after the kidnapping that an opportunity to rescue Walton could become much more dangerous if he was taken by or sold to a group of Islamist militants aligned with either al Qaeda or ISIS and American special operations commanders felt they needed to act swiftly before that could occur, said one counterterrorism official briefed on the hostage recovery operations.

quote:

killed all but one of the seven captors, according to officials with direct knowledge about the operation.

"They were all dead before they knew what happened,"

A happy ending. The 7th guy can tell his cohorts not to fuck with us.

^^^ exactly...

Excellent news.

Not sure who/what Mr.Walton's profession is other than son of a missionary; usually such a fast hostage rescue ops like this is to prevent an impending sale/transfer of the hostage to a larger group. We (US) has an active presence at an airfield in the northern portion of the country, multiple agencies utilizing the far-inland location for OP Juniper Shield.

President Trump:

Last night, our Country’s brave warriors rescued an American hostage in Nigeria. Our Nation salutes the courageous soldiers behind the daring nighttime rescue operation and celebrates the safe return of yet another American citizen!

MARSOC and ST6 playing nice together!!

Excellent.

Niger sucks.

The five largest terrorist organizations are gathered there and operate in, around, and not far from Naimey, stretching into all the surrounding countries (Nigeria, Mali, etc). There have been several recent attacks on outposts, resulting in the death of 70 soldiers here, 80 soldiers there.

Southern Nigeria is no treat. Northern Nigeria, less so.

It's nice to see a decisive exclamation point made that says in no uncertain terms, don't fuck with us.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
President Trump:

Last night, our Country’s brave warriors rescued an American hostage in Nigeria. Our Nation salutes the courageous soldiers behind the daring nighttime rescue operation and celebrates the safe return of yet another American citizen!

Hopefully not inappropriate here, I wonder if such operations will be carried out under a Pres Biden?

Well done. Great to learn that our warriors suffered no casualties, successfully rescued the hostage, and inflicted substantial damage to the captors.

Michael

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:
Hopefully not inappropriate here, I wonder if such operations will be carried out under a Pres Biden?

Wasn't unusual for #44 to give such missions a green-light. Big difference is this admin seems more at ease with letting on-scene leadership handle things while the press releases or, conferences are simple affairs. Contrast the prior admin was more hands-on and involved for the sake of PR and stage-handling the entire narrative; after all they have all their friends in the news media to placate and suck-up to.

Hoorah!!! Touch an American, Fear our wrath.

“We own the night.” Direct quote from an Army SF guy I know.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:
Hopefully not inappropriate here, I wonder if such operations will be carried out under a Pres Biden?

Wasn't unusual for #44 to give such missions a green-light. Big difference is this admin seems more at ease with letting on-scene leadership handle things while the press releases or, conferences are simple affairs. Contrast the prior admin was more hands-on and involved for the sake of PR and stage-handling the entire narrative; after all they have all their friends in the news media to placate and suck-up to.

Good points.

quote:

Originally posted by Scoutmaster:

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
President Trump:

Last night, our Country’s brave warriors rescued an American hostage in Nigeria. Our Nation salutes the courageous soldiers behind the daring nighttime rescue operation and celebrates the safe return of yet another American citizen!

Hopefully not inappropriate here, I wonder if such operations will be carried out under a Pres Biden?

Pres Biden....Pfft, Bite Your Tongue! You're 'Inner Californian' is showing with that statement. Those of us in the 'Free States' are fairly confident we wont need to find out, and God willing, that'll be the case!

Thank God for our US Special Forces Operators! Like Trump said to Iran...."If you fuck around with us, if you do something bad to us, we are gonna do things to you that have never been done before!" Spoken like a REAL 'Take No Shit' American President!

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:. . . Pres Biden....Pfft, Bite Your Tongue! You're 'Inner Californian' is showing with that statement.

Those of us in the 'Free States' are fairly confident we wont need to find out, and God willing, that'll be the case!

I am merely looking at the difference in underlying principles of the two candidates, not trying to project the road ahead.

Hopefully the rest of his family is safe and they are thinking about relocating.

Thank you oh great God for again blessing our military!

quote:

Originally posted by TomV:
Hopefully the rest of his family is safe and they are thinking about relocating.

Somewhere not named Chicago.

Tired of winning, yet? .... Nah, keep it coming.

“We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.” (Orwell)