Pentagon to release details of Niger ambush, response

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Pentagon says it’s preparing to lay out how an Army Special Forces mission in Niger unfolded last fall and led to a gruesome ambush in which four soldiers died.

Investigators have concluded that the Army Special Forces team did not get required command approval for the initial risky mission to go after a high-level insurgent linked to the Islamic State group

The public briefing Thursday also will explain what is being done to correct the problems brought to light by the incident.

Families of the fallen troops have already been briefed on the investigation, including details of their loved ones’ final moments as they battled as many as 100 insurgents in a fierce firefight.

Officials spent months trying to unravel the complex incident, conducting dozens of interviews.

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