A U.S. citizen kidnapped at gunpoint in the West African nation of Niger this past week has been rescued in a dramatic U.S. military operation in neighboring Nigeria, the defense department confirmed.
Philip Walton, 27, was taken from his farm in Massalata in southern Niger early Tuesday morning by kidnappers armed with AK-47 assault rifles who demanded a $1million ransom from the man's father.
The Defense Department confirmed on Saturday that the successful operation was undertaken by elite commandos from SEAL Team 6 in a daring early-morning raid after they tracked the kidnappers phones.
According to ABC, all but one of the seven captors was killed in the mission, described as a 'precision' hostage rescue.
'They were all dead before they knew what happened,' a source told the network.
President Trump tweeted out his praise as the news of the rescue broke. 'Big win for our very elite U.S. Special Forces today. Details to follow!' he wrote.
In a statement released later, Trump said that the operation was undertaken on his direction and had rescued Walton within 96 hours of his kidnapping.
'Securing the freedom of Americans held in captivity abroad has been a top national security priority of my administration,' he said.
'We have rescued over 55 hostages and detainees in more than 24 countries. Today's operation should serve as a stark warning to terrorists and criminal thugs who mistakenly believe they can kidnap Americans with impunity, Trump added.
The Defense Department added that no military personnel were injured in the operation and that it had been conducted with the aid of the Niger and Nigerian governments, in an effort to rescue Walton quickly before he could be moved.
'We had to get him before any potential trade or sale,' one U.S. official told Fox News.
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