A convoy of United States embassy staff has come under fire in southeast Nigeria, an attack that killed two employees and two police officers.
\nAccording to international media reports, gunmen also kidnapped three individuals \u2013 two other police officers and a driver \u2013 during the attack on Tuesday near the town of Atani in Nigeria\u2019s Anambra State.
\nA rescue and recovery effort remains under way, according to a police spokesperson in Anambra, Ikenga Tochukwu.
\n\u201cThe hoodlums murdered two of the Police Mobile Force operatives and two staff of the Consulate, and set their bodies ablaze and their vehicles,\u201d Ikenga said, noting the area was known for separatist violence.
\nIt is not immediately clear the nature of the trip by the US embassy staffers in Anambra, nor how many people were in the convoy.
\nHe also expressed regret the convoy chose to \u201center the state without recourse to the police in the area or any security agency\u201d. Law enforcement, he said, arrived only after the attackers escaped.
\nUS National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby briefly addressed the incident at a White House press briefing on Tuesday, affirming \u201cit does look like a US convoy vehicle was attacked\u201d.
\n\u201cWhat I can tell you is that no US citizens were involved and, therefore, there were no US citizens hurt,\u201d Kirby said.
\nThe US Department of State later issued a statement saying its diplomatic staff were \u201cworking with Nigerian security services to investigate\u201d.
\n\u201cThe security of our personnel is always paramount, and we take extensive precautions when organising trips to the field,\u201d it said.
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