What Happened in Niger? Congress Demands Answers on Jihadist Ambush that Killed 4 US Troops

Members of Congress are demanding answers two weeks after an ambush in the African nation of Niger killed four US soldiers.

US troops were ambushed by 50 heavily armed Islamic fighters, and the body of Sgt. La David Johnson wasn't found for two days.

The deadly ambush occurred as Islamic jihadists on motorcycles attacked the US convoy using rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns.

The Pentagon wants to know if military leaders missed any warning signs.

And Sen. John McCain, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee wants answers too. McCain says the White House is not being "up front" about what happened during the ambush.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has promised to provide accurate information as soon as it is fully available.

Trump's national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, echoed that defense.

"Answers that are provided, oftentimes, short of that full investigation, turn out in retrospect to have been inaccurate and just cause more confusion," McMaster said.

Mattis said the US has about 1,000 troops in that part of Africa to support a French-led mission to disrupt and destroy extremists.

Mattis described the US mission in Niger as a classic example of training that Army Green Berets have performed worldwide for decades, usually with no publicity.

Another military official said last week that US troops in that area had carried out 29 similar missions over the previous six months without encountering enemy forces.