Aircraft destroyed as al-Shabab fighters launch surprise attack on US-Kenya military base
- Al-Shabab’s media wing published pictures of masked militants standing next to aircraft in flames
- The area has long been a major tourist destination but vulnerable to militant violence given its proximity to Somalia.
The al-Shabab extremist group attacked a military base used by US and Kenyan troops in coastal Kenya early on Sunday, with US aircraft and vehicles destroyed, Kenyan authorities said.
Kenya’s military said the predawn breach was repulsed and at least four attackers were killed.
A plume of black smoke rose above the base near the Somali border. Residents said a car bomb had exploded.
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The US Africa Command confirmed the attack on Camp Simba in Lamu county. Spokesman Colonel Christopher Karns called al-Shabab’s claims, including of inflicting severe casualties, “grossly exaggerated”.
There was no report of US or Kenyan deaths. The camp has under 100 US personnel, according to Pentagon figures.
An internal Kenyan police report seen by Associated Press said two fixed-wing aircraft, one US and one Kenyan, were destroyed along with two US helicopters and multiple US vehicles at the Manda Bay military airstrip.
The report said explosions were heard at around 5:30am from the direction of the airstrip. The scene, which was secured, indicated that al-Shabab likely gained entry “to conduct targeted attacks”, the report said.
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Al-Shabab’s claim of responsibility said the attack destroyed US equipment including aircraft and vehicles.
“Seven aircraft and three military vehicles were destroyed in the attack,” al-Shabab said in a statement that included photos showing aircraft on fire with fighters standing nearby.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, is based in neighbouring Somalia and has launched a number of attacks in Kenya. The group has been the target of a growing number of US air strikes during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Kenyan army Colonel Paul Njuguna said “an attempt was made to breach security at Manda Air Strip” at 5:30am but the attack was repulsed.
“Four terrorists’ bodies have so far been found. The airstrip is safe,” he said, adding that a fire had broken out but had since been dealt with.
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The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the airstrip was closed for all operations.
Last year al-Shabab attacked a US military base inside Somalia. The extremist group has carried out multiple attacks against Kenyan troops in the past in retaliation for Kenya sending troops to Somalia to fight it. Al-Shabab also has attacked civilian targets in Kenya including buses, schools and shopping centres.
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The early Sunday attack comes days after a US air strike killed Iran’s top military commander and Iran vowed retaliation, but al-Shabab is a Sunni Muslim group and there is no sign of links to Shiite Iran or proxies.
Analyst Rashid Abdi in Twitter posts discussing the attack said it had nothing to do with the tensions in the Middle East but added that Kenyan security services have long been worried that Iran was trying to cultivate ties with al-Shabab.
“Avowedly Wahhabist al-Shabab not natural ally of Shia Iran, hostile, even. But if Kenyan claims true, AS attack may have been well-timed to signal to Iran it is open for tactical alliances,” he wrote.
When asked whether the US military was looking into any Iranian link to the attack, spokesman Karns said only that “al-Qaeda has their own agenda and have made clear their desire to attack US interests.”
Associated Press, Reuters
