C-130s rescue Americans from violence in Chad - Military News | News From Afghanistan, Iraq And Around The World - Military Times

C-130s rescue Americans from violence in Chad

Amid a third day of violence between rebels and government soldiers in Chad’s capital, two Air Force C-130s swooped in Monday to evacuate Americans and some foreign nationals.

Louis Nigro Jr., U.S. ambassador to Chad, requested assistance with the ordered departure of American citizens and officials from the city, according to a press release from U.S. European Command.

The Associated Press reported that 1,000 to 1,500 rebels in gun trucks attacked N’Djamena, the capital city, on Monday. Government-backed soldiers returned fire from tanks and helicopter gunships. The rebels retreated to the city’s fringes Tuesday, signaling readiness for a cease-fire, the AP reported.

The two C-130s came in Monday morning and took more than two dozen Americans and more than 36 citizens from Egypt, Lebanon, Madagascar, France, Cameroon and Germany to Yaoundé, Cameroon, the release said.

A spokeswoman for EuCom did not know which unit the C-130s were with, but that they were Air Force planes tasked by Special Operations Command Europe. The only Air Force spec ops base in Europe is RAF Mildenhall, England. Mildenhall’s spe ops spokesman, contacted after hours, did not immediately reply to a request for information.

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