A US Army vehicle damaged during the explosion of a mine in Niger

An American army vehicle was damaged during the explosion of a mine in western Niger, but no deaths occurred, and the army The US was investigating whether the incident was hostile, local embbadies and security forces said Sunday.

The incident occurred in Ouallam in the Tillaberi region, not far from the border with Mali, where four US soldiers and five Niger soldiers were killed in an ambush in 2017, sources said.

"A US mine-proof and ambush-protected off-road vehicle has been damaged in Niger," the United States Embbady in Niamey said in a statement.

Ouallam is about 100 kilometers from Niamey and is home to a major training camp of the Nigerien army where soldiers are trained to participate in the United Nations Mission in Mali, called Minusma.

"The incident occurred outside of a range of weapons, so it is possible that non-hostile factors are causing the damage," he said. he declares. "We are still trying to confirm this element."

The US mission to Niger has been thoroughly examined following the attack of 2017.

During the October 4 ambush, US Special Forces soldiers and Nigerian troops were attacked by fighters affiliated with the Islamic State group and equipped with small arms, grenades and trucks armed with rifles.

The American Pentagon remained silent about the circumstances surrounding the ambush and the nature of the mission in Niger.

The United States operates an airdrone base in Agadez that monitors Boko Haram fighters and other allies in al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) operating along the borders with Libya, Mali and Nigeria.

Niamey has also allowed the United States to install armed drones on its soil.

On May 14, 2019, 28 Nigerian soldiers were killed near the Tongo Tongo village when they were ambushed "by heavily armed terrorists," according to the Nigerian government.