New Shebab attack in Kenya. Militiamen from the Somali Islamist group carried out an attack on Sunday morning January 5 at the military base named Camp Simba in Manda Bay, Lamu.
This base, operated by American and Kenyan forces, is the last target of the Shebab in Kenya since Nairobi sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
"There was an attempt at 5:30 am to break the security of the Manda Air Strip runway," said Kenyan military spokesman Colonel Paul Njuguna.
"The breach attempt was successfully repelled. So far, the bodies of four terrorists have been found. The airstrip has not been touched. After this unsuccessful attempt, a fire broke out, affecting fuel tanks on the airstrip, "also said Colonel Njuguna, who said the fire had been brought under control" and that standard safety procedures are being followed. "
A Kenyan local official, Irungu Macharia, also confirmed the dawn attack, saying that "it was repelled", but did not say if there were any victims.
Shebabs claim to have killed Kenyan and American victims
The Lamu region, located near the Somali border, is affected by operations led by the Shebab, with frequent attacks carried out along the border, targeting in particular the security forces with roadside bombs.
The Shebab claimed responsibility for the attack on Camp Simba base in Manda Bay in a statement, saying they had "successfully stormed the heavily fortified military base and have now taken effective control of part from the bottom ".
The group said there were Kenyan and American casualties, but the claims could not be confirmed immediately.
The group added that the attack was part of its campaign "Al-Quds (Jerusalem) will never be Judaized", a term it used for the first time in an attack on the hotel complex. high-end Dusit in Nairobi in January 2019, which left 21 dead.
Deadly attack in Somalia in December
The Shebabs have carried out several large-scale attacks inside Kenya, claiming that they were reprisals for sending Kenyan troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the group, as well as targeting foreign interests.
Despite costly international efforts to defeat them, the Shebab waged one of the deadliest attacks of the decade on Somalia last December 28, killing 81 people in a car bomb explosion in Mogadishu.
The attacks by these militiamen demonstrate their ability to inflict significant damage in Somalia and the region, despite the loss of control of the main urban areas of Somalia.
Driven from Mogadishu in 2011, the Shebab lost most of their strongholds. But they still control large rural areas from where they carry out guerrilla operations and suicide bombings. It is estimated that there are currently between 5,000 and 9,000 combatants.
With AFP
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