A United States convoy was attacked in Nigeria on Tuesday, May 16 killing four people, including two personnel from the US consulate and two police officers, with three others kidnapped, according to the Nigerian security services and US state department officials.

The attack took place in Anambra state, with Anambra Police Command saying the attackers “murdered two police operatives and two staff of the US consulate and set their bodies and their vehicles ablaze.”

The personnel who were killed were not US citizens, according to the White House and the local police. “No US citizens were involved and therefore there were no US citizens hurt,” said John Kirby of the US National Security Council. “We are aware of some casualties, perhaps even some killed.”

 

When the assailants saw security forces “they made away with two police operatives and a driver of the second vehicle in the convoy,” Ikenga Tochukwu, deputy superintendent of police, said. “No US citizen was in the convoy,” he added.

Police said that security forces “have embarked on a rescue and recovery operation in the area.”

State Department spokesperson, John Kirby said Tuesday that “Mission Nigeria personnel are working with Nigerian security services to investigate.”

He added: “The security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organizing trips to the field,”

Watch him speak below…