Al-Shabab attacks military base used by US forces in Kenya

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, based in nearby Somalia, claimed responsibility and asserted that “intense" combat with US forces continued. The US statement called the al-Shabab claims exaggerated and said Washington and Kenyan forces repelled the attack.

Nairobi: The US military said the security situation was “fluid" at a Kenyan airfield used by American forces after a pre-dawn attack on Sunday by the al-Shabab extremist group. The attack destroyed US aircraft and vehicles, Kenyan authorities said, and at least four attackers were killed.

It was not yet clear whether any US or Kenyan forces were killed. A US Africa Command statement said, “accountability of personnel assessment is underway." The midday statement said the Manda Bay airfield was “still in the process of being fully secured."

The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab, based in nearby Somalia, claimed responsibility and asserted that “intense" combat with US forces continued. The US statement called the al-Shabab claims exaggerated and said Washington and Kenyan forces repelled the attack.

It is the first known al-Shabab attack against American forces inside Kenya, a key base for fighting one of the world's most resilient extremist organizations.

A plume of black smoke rose above the base. Residents said that a car bomb had exploded. Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia told The Associated Press that five suspects were arrested and were being interrogated.

An internal Kenyan police report seen by the AP said that two fixed-wing aircraft, a US Cessna and a Kenyan one, were destroyed along with two American helicopters and multiple US vehicles at the Manda Bay military airstrip. The report said explosions were heard at around 5:30 am from the direction of the airstrip. The scene, now secured, indicated that al-Shabab likely entered “to conduct targeted attacks," the report said.

The U.S. military said only that “initial reports reflect damage to infrastructure and equipment." The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the airstrip was closed for all operations.

Al-Shabab's statement included photos of blazing aircraft it asserted were from the attack. A second al-Shabab claim issued hours later asserted that "ïntense close-quarters combat" against US forces continued.

The military's Camp Simba in Lamu county, established more than a decade ago, has under 100 US personnel, according to Pentagon figures. The American forces at the Manda Bay airfield train and give counter-terror support to East African partners, according to the military. A US flag-raising at the camp in August signaled its change “from tactical to enduring operations," the Air Force said at the time.

According to another internal Kenyan police report seen by the AP, dated Friday, a villager that day said he had spotted 11 suspected al-Shabab members entering Lamu's Boni forest, which the extremists have used as a hideout. The report said Kenyan authorities did not find them.

Al-Shabab has launched a number of attacks inside Kenya, including against civilian targets such as buses, schools and shopping malls. The group has been the target of a growing number of US airstrikes inside Somalia during President Donald Trump’s administration.