Al Shabaab, the Kenyan Islamist group attacked a military base in Lamu County which is used by both US and Kenyan forces. The group attacked the airstrip in Manda which has military personnel from several countries. Military sources told Reuters that the fight is still ongoing. The sources also revealed that the fighters were trying to access the base from the airstrip.
The Al-Qaeda linked Islamist insurgent group who has been fighting to overthrow the weak, UN-backed Somali government has also released a statement revealing the updates. The statement revealed the purpose of the attack and the crusade against the Americans. The group had previously attacked the upscale 14 Riverside complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi which killed 21 people.
Camp Simba, a US Naval base
The group has launched several attacks in Kenya which killed many people. Three passengers died last week when al-Shabaab attacked a bus. According to al-Shabab, the present attack on the base destroyed the US weapons.
According to the statement by the group, an elite group of soldiers from the Harakat Al-Shabaab Al Mujahideen's 'Martyrdom Brigade' launched the attack on the US base known as 'Camp Simba'. The group also said that the base serves as a launchpad for the crusade against Islam. The attack is the key indicator of the group's resilience in the region. They were ejected from Mogadishu and several other regions by the military operations.
The US troops began its operation in the base in 2017 to counter terrorism and other border security operation and aid Kenya. It became a permanent US base in 2019 by changing from tactical to enduring operation. The armed group said that the attack has resulted in severe casualties, but the number of casualties is not known. It is unclear whether there are any casualties of the attack which was launched during dawn on Sunday.
