At least three people, including one US serviceman and two contractors with the US Department of Defense, were killed when Somalia-based Al Shabaab militant group attacked a military base in Kenya used by both U.S. and Kenyan forces on Sunday, reported BBC. Two others from the Department of Defense were wounded in the attack on the Manda Bay Airfield in Lamu county.
The Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) said the attempt made to breach security at Manda AirStrip was repulsed and four militants were killed in the assault that lasted around four hours.
Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Paul Njuguna said the base was safe after the 5.30 am attack.
“This morning at around 5:30 am an attempt was made to breach security at Manda Air Strip,” he said. “The attempted breach was successfully repulsed.”
The US military’s Africa Command said the wounded Americans are in stable condition and being evacuated. According to Pentagon figures, the camp has under 100 U.S. personnel.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of our teammates who lost their lives today,” Gen Stephen Townsend, commander of US Africa Command, said in a statement. “As we honour their sacrifice, let’s also harden our resolve. Alongside our African and international partners, we will pursue those responsible for this attack and al-Shabab, who seeks to harm Americans and US interests.”
Al-Shabaab claimed that 17 US personnel and nine Kenyan soldiers were killed in the attack and seven aircraft were destroyed. The militant group is linked to terrorist group al-Qaeda and is headquartered in Somalia. Sunday’s attack was the al-Qaida-linked group’s first attack against US forces in the East African country.
Al-Shabaab has carried out numerous attacks in the region since it was formed more than a decade ago. Late last month, about 80 people were killed in a bombing in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and US airstrikes killed seven Al-Shabaab fighters in response.
