The attackers only fled six hours later when French aircraft arrived, villagers said. They made off with three vehicles stolen from the soldiers, but left behind one of their own pickups, the engine running. On the truck’s bed lay the bodies of two Americans.
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Four other bodies were scattered across the area; several of the fallen soldiers had apparently run for cover before being hunted down.
Initial reports of the battle suggested that three Americans had died. But two days later, in a copse some distance from the battlefield, village children found Johnson’s body wedged between two trees.
According to locals, ambushed US special forces faced overwhelming, sustained attack from militants – and Nigerien authorities failed to react when alerted
New details of the attack in which four US special forces and four Nigerien soldiers were killed by militants suggest that they fought alone against a far superior force for hours – despite repeated calls for help by local villagers.
Testimony collected by the Guardian suggests that soldiers ambushed in Niger last month faced an overwhelming and coordinated attack – but one that might have been cut short if Nigerien authorities had reacted as soon as they were called.
Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News 