U.S. troops were part of a multinational force that repelled a brazen daytime raid by militants inside the United Nations Super Camp near Timbuktu Airport in Mali two years ago, according to award documents obtained by Military Times.
Two U.S. soldiers received Purple Heart medals after being injured by a car bomb’s blast wave during the April 14, 2018 attack by local al-Qaeda affiliates, though two others also sustained mild traumatic brain injuries.
Several service members said in interviews they believed the politically sensitive nature of African missions, and the fact that some Americans were at risk of capture, may have had a negative influence on the awards process for all of them.
