The new video appears to support the military's finding that Johnson died in a hail of gunfire, hit as many as 18 times as he took cover in thick brush, fighting to the end.Ī medical examination concluded that Johnson was hit by fire from M-4 rifles - likely stolen by the insurgents - and Soviet-made heavy machine guns. The body of La David Johnson was not found until two days after the ambush, sparking speculation that he had been taken hostage. There are indications of post-mortem mutilation to both bodies.Īfter the video's release, an online channel associated with ISIS encouraged would-be lone wolves to draw inspiration from it and attack citizens of 'Crusader coalition countries', according to to SITE Intelligence Group.Īlthough questions remain about how the attack unfolded, the Pentagon has remained tight-lipped about the circumstances of the ambush and the nature of the mission while it conducts a probe. They have severe injuries to their faces and necks and blood pools around their heads. What appear to be the bodies of Wright and Jeremiah Johnson lie near each other.īoth men have been stripped of their helmets, body armor and boots. The camera cuts off.Īdditional video shot by the militants shows the bodies of two of the other US soldiers. Blood pours onto the dirt in front of his face. Three masked militants stride around Johnson armed with AK-47s. Large-caliber machine gun fire rips through Johnson as he lies on the ground, blowing his watch off his wrist. The agonizing screams continue as he struggles to rise and falls back to the hard-packed dirt.īlood pools next to Johnson as he lies on the ground. Johnson, wearing the helmet cam, screams and falls to the ground. Bullets kick up puffs of dirt around the two men as they run. The two soldiers sprint for some time within sight of each other. He and the other soldier spring up from behind the Landcruiser and run for it. Johnson checks his weapon and gestures to the soldier by the hood. The other soldier crouches by the hood of the vehicle. Johnson crouches by the rear of the Landcruiser, the ground around him covered in shell casings. Automatic weapons fire from multiple directions is heard. The driver of the Landcruiser jumps out and helps Johnson drag the downed soldier to cover.Ī firefight ensues. The soldier wearing the helmet cam, who appears to be La David Johnson, checks the body. One of the US soldiers walking by the Landcrusier crumples to the ground in the chaos. The driver of the Landcruiser steers it from a prone position, with his legs sticking out the passenger side door, as two other soldiers move along side firing at the enemy. The US soldiers use the Landcruiser for cover as they drive it toward colored smoke that has been deployed to obscure their retreat and signal air supportĪfter a cut, it appears that the Nigerien support personnel and tactical vehicle are gone, and three US soldiers are making a final stand by the Landcruiser. The ambush occurred as a unit of 12 American special forces soldiers and 30 Nigerien troops returned from the village near the border with Mali, where they had been hunting for a senior Islamic State member. It also sparked a furious dispute between President Donald Trump and a Democratic congresswoman from Florida who claimed he slighted the family of one of the soldiers. The attack raised questions about the US military's role in Niger, where about 800 US military personnel are stationed to train local forces and operate drones. The video reveals heartbreaking details about the courageous last moments of the four soldiers, although it is edited with multiple cuts that make the full context of the firefight unclear.ĭ is not publishing the full video, which is extremely graphic, but the withheld portions are described in detail below. The 9 minute, 15 second video appears to be shot from multiple helmet cams on the US soldiers who died in on October 4 in Tongo Tongo, Niger in an ambush by 50 ISIS militants. ISIS has released a sickening video appearing to show their fighters ambushing and killing four US soldiers in Niger.
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