In a bid to discover the details of the deadly attack in Niger two weeks ago, the Pentagon sent officials to the West African nation to try and get answers to the numerous questions the attack has generated, NBC News reported.

According to two US officials who are privy to the mission, the Pentagon stopped short of calling it an investigation, preferring to refer to it as an inquiry instead. The details of what happened during the attack are still unclear, and the team has been tasked with finding answers.

Questions arising from the attack

The Pentagon African Command team (AFRICOM) has their work cut out for them, and some of the tough questions top military officials want answered are; what was the exact location of the US team when they were attacked?

Was the team adequately prepared for an attack?

Other questions include, was there prior intelligence of the attack? Did the team have sufficient protective gear? Why was the team not traveling in armored vehicles? Why was the group split up? Who was responsible?

It is not only the Pentagon seeking answers. Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain expressed his dismay at the lack of information from the government regarding the attack. The senator stressed that it was crucial for the Committee to be furnished with the necessary information, as it was a matter of national security.

Confusion on the ground

Officials observed that there was a lot of confusion during and after the attack.

This was evident after initial reports were contradicted by later reports. For example, it is still unclear who provided the medevac choppers that flew the injured soldiers to safety. Initial reports said it was the US military, then, the report changed to the French military, and then back to the US military. Reports are now emerging that the helicopters could have been provided by a private US contractor who works in the area.

Another baffling issue was why it took almost two days to recover Sgt. La Johnson's body, while it was found close to where the attack occurred.

Two weeks later, no terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which is also unusual. This means the military cannot take action against unknown perpetrators. The group that is suspected of carrying out the attack -- ISIS-GS -- and that operates in the area has never attacked US forces in the five years they have had a military presence in Niger.