WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — A joint military operation has recued U.S. citizen Philip Walton, 27, before his captors could get far, after he was kidnapped from his home in Niger on Oct. 26, according to counterterrorism officials.
Multiple reports cite officials familiar with the operation who say it was feared that the gang who captured Walton might sell him to terrorists.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a Saturday statement, "U.S. forces conducted a hostage rescue operation during the early hours of 31 October in Northern Nigeria to recover an American citizen held hostage by a group of armed men." Hoffman said in the statement, "This American citizen is safe and is now in the care of the U.S. Department of State."
The operation involved the governments of Niger, the U.S. and Nigeria who worked together in the dramatic operation. The elite SEAL Team Six carried out the rescue and killed all but one of the seven captors officials said, according to ABC News.
The State Department expressed gratitude for the support of international partners in the operation.
Walton was kidnapped from the backyard of his home in Massalata, Niger last Monday after his captors asked for money, but he could only produce $40 USD. Walton was then taken by force, according to reports.
Walton lives on a farm in the village of Massalata, which is close to the Nigerian border, with his wife and young daughter.
