US military admits lack of preparedness in Al-Shabaab raid at Manda Airfield in Kenya
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Abuga Makori in Nairobi Garowe Online
- Posted On 31-01-2020, 01:27PM
NAIROBI, Kenya - Al-Shabaab raid at Manda Airfield in Kenya caught US military unprepared, AFRICOM commander Stephen Townsend has said, in an admission that could change approach in the fight against violent extremism.
Three Americans died during the January 5th attack, which left the US military badly exposed in her determination to help allies.
And the six-hour fight with the militants left six aircraft meant for sophisticated surveillance dismembered, even as Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, AFRICOM said.
The armed militants disconnected power within the vicinity of Manda Airfield and Camp Simba before raiding the base, residents said.
US military unprepared during the raid
While appearing before Senate Armed Forces Committee, Gen. Townsend admitted laxity on the elite forces, adding that "we are digging to find why that is the case".
He said: “We were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be. Al-Shabaab managed to penetrate on to that airfield."
Besides the three casualties, two servicemen were badly wounded and were subsequently airlifted to Djibouti for advanced treatment, officials said.
Manda Airfield attack was the first successful raid by the militants in an American base within Africa, reports indicate.
Last year, there was an attempted raid at Ballidogle army base in Somalia but it was expeditiously repulsed. Eleven militants were killed, authorities said.
Al-Shabaab claimed more casualties
Although the US maintained that only three people died; a serviceman and two contractors, Al-Shabaab has disputed the figures.
In a statement, Al-Shabaab said, 17 US Marine corps and nine KDF troops died during the "successful operation against the enemy".
Despite the claims, the Somalia-based militants have never given video evidence, which is their tactic to counter statements released by security forces.
They added that "we shall continue to escalate the attacks until Kenya and the US leave our Muslim lands. We shall win the war."
KDF performance questioned
Gen. Townsend appeared before Senate amid reports that KDF troops stationed at the base failed to "give logistical" support.
According to the New York Times, the KDF team "hid in the grass during the attack" instead of giving backup, thus "exposing" the Americans.
But in a rejoinder, Col. Paul Njuguna, the KDF spokesman, dismissed the reports as "half-baked" journalism, adding that "let us wait for a comprehensive report".
US has deployed less than 200 soldiers at the coastal region in East Africa, with their tasks ranging from counterterrorism and training of KDF.
Their presence is part of mutual cooperation with Kenya, which is strategically in the East. The US has its base in Djibouti.
Efforts to crush Al-Shabaab
While noting that Al-Shabaab thrives on "propaganda and conspiracy theories", Townsend insisted that the force is equipped and ready to crush them.
The AFRICOM commander lauded strategic operations launched across East Africa in the fight against Al-Shabaab, singling out frequent airstrikes as the main "winning approach".
"They’re [kinetic operations] meant to help the international effort and the Somali effort, but they’re also meant to protect America," he said.
Townsend added: "What we do is we keep an eye on al-Shabaab every day, and we look for ways to reduce their capacity wherever we can.”
American has close to 600 troops in Somalia who are equipped to train SNA. Since the Manda Airfield attack, AFRICOM has deployed East Africa Response Forces [EARF] for reinforcement.
Cooperation by African governments
Despite the setbacks, the army boss lauded input from allied partners in East Africa on the war against violent extremism.
Besides Al-Shabaab, ISIS has been causing havoc in Somalia, although it was neutralized due to rivalry with Al-Shabaab.
Acknowledging the threat caused by the groups, Townsend added that "security and public service voids while expanding their radical ideology."
In general, he said, "African governments view VEOs as near-term threats to their capacity to govern effectively, protect their populations, and improve their economies".
For close to a decade, Al-Shabaab has struggled to topple the fragile UN-backed Somalia government, killing over 4,000 people in the process, reports indicate.
GAROWE ONLINE
