This archive report was first published on 6 January 2020.
On January 5, 2020, at 4 am, Al-Shabaab militants launched a surprise attack on Manda Simba camp, a US military base housing American and Kenyan soldiers in Lamu.
The US Africa Command confirmed the attack and the casualties in a statement issued on January 5, 2020, stating that one US service member and two Department of Defense contractors were killed during the attack.
According to the US Africa Command, two soldiers were injured during the attack but were in stable condition.
The US Africa Command chose not to reveal the names of the slain and injured soldiers, citing respect for their families and the need to notify them first.
However, the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) initially reported that the attack was successfully countered, stating that the attempted breach at Manda Airstrip was repulsed and four terrorists' bodies were found.
Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the camp was targeted because it had been used by American and Kenyan soldiers to attack Somalia.
Reports indicated that the militants had rigged road accesses to the camp with IEDs and knocked down telecommunication facilities before storming the camp.
