Military operations were underway on Thursday near Niger’s border with Mali, the day after three members of the US Army Special Forces and five Nigerien soldiers were killed by unidentified assailants, security sources said. The attack, which also wounded two US soldiers, took place during a routine patrol in a part of southwestern Niger, Reuters reported, citing a US official. Nigerien, US and French troops were conducting military operations in the zone, a Nigerien security source said. The operations were taking place within Niger and Malian forces reinforced their checkpoints along the border, according to an official at Mali’s Defense Ministry.