NNA – Gunmen have attacked a US diplomatic convoy in south-east Nigeriarsquo;s Anambra state, killing four people and abducting three others. No US citizens were in the convoy, according to US and Nigerian officials.
The gunmen ldquo;murdered two of the police mobile force operatives and two staff of the consulaterdquo;, before setting their vehicle on fire in the attack on Tuesday, said police spokesperson Ikenga Tochukwu.
ldquo;No US citizen was in the convoy,rdquo; he said.
Security forces deployed to the scene, said Tochukwu, but the gunmen managed to abduct two police operatives and a driver.
A ldquo;rescue/recovery operationrdquo; was underway Tuesday evening, he added in his statement.
US national security council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed the attack during a briefing with reporters in Washington DC.
ldquo;A US convoy of vehicles was attacked. What I can tell you is that no US citizens were involved,rdquo; Kirby said.
The state department also confirmed the attack.
ldquo;US Mission Nigeria personnel are working with Nigerian security services to investigate,rdquo; a spokesperson said.
ldquo;The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organizing trips to the field.rdquo;
Separatists who operate in the region have escalated their attacks in recent years, usually targeting police or government buildings.
Nigerian officials often blame attacks in the south-east on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra movement (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network.–AFP
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