Attack hits military base used by U.S. Forces in Kenya – NBC News, NBC News

Militants attacked a military base used by U.S. troops in Kenya early Sunday.

A pre-dawn attempt by al-Shabab forces to breach security at Manda Bay Airfield was repelled, U.S. Africa Command said in a statement. But it added that “the security situation at Manda Bay is fluid.”

It said initial reports reflected damage to infrastructure and equipment, while an assessment was underway to determine if any further damage was inflicted.

“Working alongside our Kenyan partners, the airfield is cleared and still in the process of being fully secured.”

Al-Shabab, an Al Qaeda-linked group, claimed it had inflicted casualties and destroyed U.S. military equipment, including aircraft, in the raid on the military base near Kenya’s border with Somalia.

NBC News has not verified the claims.

There was no report of US or Kenyan deaths. U.S. Africa Command said “an accountability of personnel assessment is underway.”

Based in neighboring Somalia, al-Shabab has launched a number of attacks in Kenya. It has also been the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes during President Donald Trump’s administration.

The attack comes just over a week after anal-Shabab truck bomb in Somalia’s capital killed at least 93 peopleand US airstrikes killed several al-Shabab fighters in response.

Another U.S. airstrike Friday killed three soldiers, U.S. Africa Command said.

The base, established more than a decade ago, has under 672 personnel, according to Pentagon figures.

A U.S. flag-raising there in August signaled its change “from tactical to enduring operations,” the Air Force said at the time.