--- title: "No US troops killed after US armored vehicle hits roadside bomb in Niger" description: "No US troops were killed after their vehicle hit a bomb while conducting a training exercise in Niger." date: "2019-06-09" modified: "2019-06-09" authors: - name: "Jeff Schogol" job_title: "Senior Pentagon Reporter" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jeff-schogol.md" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/niger-vehicle-accident/" categories: - "Africa" - "Around the World" - "News" - "Tech & Tactics" - "Vehicles" tags: - "africa command" - "Terrorism" --- # No US troops killed after US armored vehicle hits roadside bomb in Niger ![]() A U.S Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle hit an explosive device on Saturday while entering a firing range near Ouallam, Niger, a spokesman for U.S. Africa Command said. "There were four U.S. service members in the vehicle at the time of the IED detonation," Air Force Christopher Karns told Task & Purpose. "At this time, neither the U.S. nor partner force is reporting any casualties. As a precaution, U.S. service members have been recovered to a secure location and are being evaluated." U.S. and Nigerien forces were conducting a training exercise at the time of the blast, Karns said. The vehicle involved is often used for explosive ordnance disposal work, [Stars and Stripes reporter John Vandiver]() first reported about the M-ATV incident on Saturday. The blast happened in the same region where four U.S. soldiers were killed in an Oct. 4, 2017 ambush. An AFRICOM investigation into the ambush found that the "advise and assist" missions that U.S. troops were conducting in Niger had fallen victim to mission creep. "Exercised aggressively, with U.S. advisors accompanying platoons, squads, and fire teams, the direct actions of our partners cannot be distinguished from U.S. direct action," [the investigation found.]() "U.S. provisions of 'advice and assistance' look more like U.S. direct combat operations that are not reported that way to Congress or acknowledged that way to the public." Karns said U.S. troops work with Nigerien forces to help them fight terrorists. "Building and strengthening partnership capacity and helping African partners counter violent extremist organizations remain key areas of focus for US Africa Command," Karns said. "If the threat on the continent is not addressed today it could present an expanded security challenge for the U.S. and others tomorrow." **UPDATE: This story was updated on June 9 after AFRICOM confirmed the U.S. vehicle hit a bomb.** ### SEE ALSO: Each of the 4 heroes killed in a deadly 2017 ambush in Niger has received a valor award ### WATCH NEXT: The Pentagon's Niger Ambush Recreation Video ## Author Jeff Schogol is the former senior Pentagon reporter for Task & Purpose. He reported on both the Department of Defense as a whole and individual services, covering a variety of topics that include personnel, policy, military justice, deployments, and technology. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]() [Twitter]() ## More - [Fallout From Deadly Niger Ambush Worsens As Bombshell Reports Target AFRICOM]() - [2 Months After The Deadly Ambush In Niger, Green Berets Hit Back At ISIS — Hard]() - [Soldier Who Went Missing In Niger Ambush Fought Until The End, Military Officials Say]() - [US troops to leave Niger bases this weekend and in August]() - [ISIS leader from Niger ambush that killed 4 US troops may be dead]() - [More US Troops In Niger Were Nearly Wiped Out During Ambush And Chaotic Rescue]() - [ISIS Ghouls Tried To Steal Fallen Soldiers’ Bodies In Niger. They Failed]() - [REPORT: 3 Green Berets Killed In Niger Ambush]()