The U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team Six, has rescued an American hostage from an armed group in Nigeria.
The Pentagon confirmed the news, saying the specialized team was able to recover Philip Walton.
According to officials, none of its specialized counterterrorism operatives were injured during the operation. The mission to save Walton was approved after officials received news that his abductors were intending to sell him to anti-U.S. terrorists operating in the region.
"U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of Oct. 31 in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men. This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State," Pentagon representative Jonathan Hoffman said over the weekend Saturday.
Walton was reportedly abducted by a criminal gang operating in Niger last week. According to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Walton was taken across the border to Nigeria and the group had intended to hold him hostage for ransom. He added that intelligence operatives were able to track down the group's base in the village of Niamey in southwestern Niger before Walton's transport to Nigeria.
Defense officials said they had identified six of Walton's captors, of which five were killed during the rescue. One escaped and is being searched for.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that the operation was a "big win" for the country's special forces. Trump added that he would provide more details of the operation in coming days.
Pompeo said in a separate statement the operation was a testament to the country's commitment to the safe return of all U.S. citizens held captive abroad. He also thanked the operatives and praised their "extraordinary courage and capabilities."
Seal Team Six is the Navy's elite hostage rescue and counterterrorism unit. The group has been involved in hundreds of rescue and counterterrorism operations abroad, including the elimination of terrorists aboard oil platforms and hijacked ships.
