American Held Hostage in Nigeria Was Rescue by US Special Operations

United States Special Operations Forces have rescued an American citizen who was held hostage by Armed men in Nigeria.

According to Al Jazeera, the American citizen Philips Nathan Walton was abducted earlier on Tuesday morning in Masalata Village in Southern Niger.

In a statement released by the Pentagon spokesperson, Jonathan Hoffman confirmed that the rescue operation was conducted by US forces in Nothern Nigeria during the early hours of 31 October to rescue Nathan, who was kidnapped by a group of armed abductors.

According to him, the operation was successfully carried out without any records of death or injuries among the US military men who partook in the mission, adding that the American citizen who was rescued is currently safe and now in the care of the US Department of State.

Jonathan, however, appreciated international partners for their supports in conducting the mission. He added that the US would keep ensuring the protection of its people and interests anywhere in the world.

CNN reports that the US special forces killed six of the seven kidnappers during the operation. In which the US believes the abductors are not an affiliate of any the terror groups, rather bandits who kidnap for money.

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said: “The United States is committed to the safe return of all US citizens taken captive. We delivered on that commitment late last night in Nigeria … We will never abandon any American taken hostage.”

The Guardian reports that Islamist insurgents are holding at least six foreign hostages in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Islamists have collected millions of dollars in ransom payments in recent years. Adding that, The US government has frequently criticized other countries for paying.

According to CNN, The governor of the local region where the abduction took place explained in different local media outlets, saying that six men on motorbikes armed with AK-47s came to the man’s property in the village of Massalata close to the border with Nigeria.

The governor, Abdourahamane Moussa, further revealed that the armed men later took the American citizen with them in the Nigerian border’s direction after demanding for ransom.

However, the United States president, Donald Trump, has appreciated the special operations forces for their efforts in rescuing the American citizen, adding that more details about the mission would be shared soon.
Speaking with the reporters on Saturday, Trump said, “I want to thank the special forces. We had a tremendous event happen and really these are incredible people that do this.