The 20-year-old soldier, Cole James Bridges of Stow, Ohio, also known as Cole Gonzales, was with the Third Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Georgia, when he thought he was communicating with Daesh online about the terrorism plots.
The attack was carried out by heavily-armed terrorists in the western Tillaberi region. "A substantial number of terrorists were neutralised," the defence ministry said. Niger extended a partial emergency in place since 2017 for another three months.