Tim Kennedy reportedly wounded in deadly Congo ambush that killed NZ SAS soldier

Former UFC fighter and US Army Green Beret Tim Kennedy has reportedly been wounded in a deadly ambush in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that left a former New Zealand special forces soldier dead.

The incident, which took place on 17 September, targeted a three-man team of private contractors. Kennedy, 47, was reportedly shot three times in the leg during the attack and had to wait nearly eight hours for medical evacuation. He is currently back in the United States and is understood to be in a stable condition.

Justin Conaglen, a former lance corporal in the elite New Zealand Special Air Service (SAS), was killed in the firefight. A third, unnamed contractor was also wounded.

What happened in the Congo?

The details of the attack began emerging after comments by former Delta Force operator Brent Tucker on his Tier1 Podcast, alongside reporting from the New Zealand Herald.

According to Tucker, the three-man element was doing private contracting work when they were ambushed. The team was pinned down and sustained multiple gunshot wounds, facing a gruelling eight-hour wait before they could be medically evacuated from the area.

New Zealand authorities have opened an investigation into the death of Conaglen, who had taken leave without pay from the military in March before formally leaving the service in August.

Why were they in the DRC?

While the survivors are bound by strict non-disclosure agreements common in private military contracting, details are starting to leak out about their mission.

War correspondent Robert Young Pelton told the New Zealand Herald that the team was working on an operation to protect mining revenues, combat smuggling, and collect taxes on behalf of the Congolese government.

However, wider speculation has quickly filled the silence surrounding the operation. Unconfirmed reports have linked the team to a private military company associated with Blackwater founder Erik Prince. There have also been unverified claims that the team clashed with Russia's Africa Corps, a state-backed mercenary group active on the continent. Neither of these claims has been officially confirmed by government or corporate representatives.

Who is Tim Kennedy?

Kennedy is a prominent figure in both the mixed martial arts and military communities. He fought professionally in the UFC and Strikeforce between 2001 and 2016, building a reputation as a tough middleweight contender while simultaneously serving as a decorated US Army Special Forces sniper with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

As of last year, Kennedy was still serving part-time in a Maryland National Guard special operations detachment. He has not yet publicly commented on the ambush or his injuries.