Al-Shabaab militants attack joint Kenya-US base

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Somalia-based al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants on Sunday attacked a U.S.-Kenya military base located in the coastal town of Lamu, the Kenyan military confirmed.

Kenyan defense forces announced it had successfully repulsed the attack, killing four militants, saying: "The airstrip is safe. Arising from the unsuccessful breach, a fire broke out affecting some of the fuel tanks located on the airstrip. The fire has been put under control and standard security procedures are now ongoing."

Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia confirmed the attack to Anadolu Agency, saying that the smoke, which "could be seen from all directions", from the airstrip was put out, with military operations are "ongoing”.

The U.S. Africa Command office also confirmed the attack, noting that the U.S. Africa Command "acknowledges" that there was an attack on the Manda Bay Airfield, and that Kenya was monitoring the situation. "Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the incident."

Al-Shabaab released a statement claiming the attack on the airfield, citing severe casualties and destruction to military vehicles -- claims yet to be confirmed.

This comes just a few days since al-Shabaab militants attacked a bus in the same area, killing three. The militants were later pursued by Kenyan forces, who managed to kill four of them.

Al-Shabaab militants have long carried out similar attacks in the Lamu County, located on the coast of Kenya, due to its proximity to the porous Kenyan-Somalian border.

In 2015, the militants killed more than 148 people in an attack on a university in the east of the country. Most of the victims were students.