About one-third of all troops are Special Forces or Special Operations forces, many working on advise-and-assist missions like the patrol in Niger. But both the Americans and Nigeriens have said that the chief suspect is ISIS in the Islamic Sahel, an outfit that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The ISIS branch and its leader, Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahraoui, sought the recognition of the Islamic State in 2015, according to the United States Defense Department. Its pledge was acknowledged more than a year later, in October 2016, through a media channel tied to the Islamic State. There are no indications that the Islamic State has directed any attacks in Niger or offered any guidance.

Source: New York Times October 29, 2017 22:15 UTC