WASHINGTON—Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, promised on Monday to provide more details about the Oct. 4 attack in Niger that left four U.S. service members dead. But during an afternoon news conference he offered little new information about what he called a “complex” situation. “We owe the families and the American people transparency and we intend to deliver just that,” Dunford said. At least 800 U.S. soldiers are in Niger supporting a French-led mission to defeat regional terror groups Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram.

WASHINGTON—While President Donald Trump and the widow of a U.S. soldier who died in Niger continue their public feud, lawmakers are raising questions about how and why the military operation that killed Sgt. La David Johnson went wrong. Johnson was one of four soldiers killed Oct. 4 in an ambush in Niger. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told MSNBC on Sunday he wasn’t aware the United States had 1,000 soldiers stationed in Niger until the attack.

UPDATE: President Donald Trump’s comments this week about contacting families of fallen soldiers continues to elicit reactions from some involved. Cowanda Jones-Johnson, the mother of fallen soldier Sgt. La David Johnson, came to the defense of her daughter-in-law on Wednesday, saying she was in the car with her son’s widow when the president called on Tuesday and overheard Trump saying that Sgt. Johnson “knew what he signed up for.” Trump continues to deny the report.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty Monday to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The judge accepted the plea and scheduled his sentencing hearing for next week. Bergdahl could face up to life in prison, although his defense team hopes the judge will take into consideration all Bergdahl suffered at the hands of the Taliban during five years in captivity. One military expert who interviewed Bergdahl about his experience said he suffered the worst mistreatment of any U.S.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban after abandoning his post in Afghanistan, was expected to plead guilty to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Taliban militants in 2009 captured the Idaho native after he disappeared from his station five months into his time in Afghanistan. U.S. Special Forces secured Bergdahl’s release in 2014 in exchange for five Taliban detainees after years of monitoring him in captivity.

An ambush attack in Niger on Wednesday killed three U.S. soldiers and injured two others, the U.S. Africa Command confirmed Thursday. The attack marks the first time American soldiers in the country have died as a result of the conflict. The command center said the attack occurred as U.S. service members provided counterterrorism assistance to the Nigerien security force, about 120 miles north of the capital city, Niamey. Another soldier from a partner nation also died during the attack, military officials said.

U.S. and Russian military leaders met at an undisclosed location in the Middle East this week to discuss the fight against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Syria. Russian forces back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the United States and its allies support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. U.S. officials have long feared unintentional contact with Russian forces in the fight. Earlier today, the Russian Defense Ministry warned it would retaliate if any of its forces came under fire. During the recent secret meeting, U.S.