‘Al-Shabaab jihadists have attacked a military base in Kenya which houses US soldiers along with local troops. The army said they managed to repulse the assault, killing four militants.
The attack was on Camp Simba naval base in Manda Bay in Lamu County on Kenya’s northern coast.
Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia told the Daily Nation local newspaper that “heavily armed” militants stormed the compound at 4am local time. Witnesses heard gunfire coming from the base
Photos and videos circulating on social media allegedly show smoke billowing from the site.
The spokesperson for the Defense Ministry, Colonel Paul Njuguna, later said that the attackers tried to seize the Manda airstrip near the base but were repulsed. Four militants were killed, he stated, as quoted by the Standard. There were no immediate reports of casualties among the personnel at the base or civilians.
Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Established in 2004, Camp Simba is used by the US to train Kenyan naval units, and is believed to play an important role in American operations in Somalia and Yemen, including drone strikes.
Kenyan troops participate in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is aimed at supporting the Somalian government in its fight against Al-Shabaab.’
Read more: Islamist group Al-Shabaab attacks military base in Kenya that houses US & local troops
