An American hostage held by a group of armed men in West Africa was rescued early Saturday morning during a rescue operation lead by U.S. forces.
The Pentagon confirmed the operation, saying that the American citizen is safe and now in the care of the State Department. They added that no U.S. military personnel were injured during the operation.
Walton lives with his wife, young daughter, and brother on a farm near the border with Nigeria.
"We delivered on that commitment late last night in Nigeria, where some of our bravest and most skilled warriors rescued a U.S. citizen after a group of armed men took him hostage across the border in Niger," the statement said.
"Thanks to the extraordinary courage and capabilities of our military, the support of our intelligence professionals, and our diplomatic efforts, the hostage will be reunited with his family."
Niger, like much of West Africa's Sahel region, faces a deepening security crisis as groups with links to al-Qaeda and ISIS carry out attacks on the army and civilians, despite help from French and U.S. forces.