US military: Al-Shabaab attack at Manda Bay facilitated by Kenyans

LAMU, (Garowe Online) -  AL-Shabaab attack on US Naval Base in Lamu early this month was aided by Kenyans, US Africa Command has said, in a move that could force Kenya to reevaluate her strategy in counterterrorism.

The militants, top US military officials say, crossed over from Somalia with assistance from their facilitators in Kenya, before unleashing on the highly guarded base.

One US serviceman and two American contractors died in the fatal attack, which also left sophisticated military equipment destroyed, AFRICOM said.

In the process, the US military and Kenya Defense Forces killed five attackers besides recovering deadly arsenals from the militants, KDF said.

Locals facilitated the attackers

Brig. Gen. Gregory Hadfield, AFRICOM deputy director of intelligence, on Thursday, said the US has strong evidence linking local networks to the attack.

“We assess that these are al-Shabab coming out of Somalia, but with the support of Kenyan facilitators and potential Kenyan aspirants of al-Shabab."

Further, the intelligence officer added that those who survived the attack are making their way back to Somalia using local networks.

“We also assess that after the attack, they’re continuing to make their way back into Somalia as well,” he added.

Al-Shabaab's persistent propaganda

In a statement, Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, warning that it would continue bombarding the US and allies for "occupying Muslim lands".

The Somalia-based militants also accused AFRICOM of "misleading" the public on casualties, claiming that over 17 US troops died.

During the attack, Al-Shabaab argued, seven American aircrafts used for surveillance were dismembered, warning that "it is not yet over".

Al-Shabaab said that "we shall continue attacking Kenya and the US until they withdraw their troops from Somalia. We shall target tourists."

The attack not related to US-Iran squabbles

While the military rules out the possible strained relationship between the US and Iran as the contributing factor, it accuses Al-Shabaab of peddling propaganda.

“I can’t say with the fact what their motivation was, but I can speculate that it’s tied to a false media campaign and tied to recruiting, and tied to anytime they can attack a U.S. anything, anywhere, they will,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler, AFRICOM director of operations, told reporters.

AFRICOM spokesman Air Force Col. Chris Karns said that al-Shabab has a tendency to “exaggerate” in their communication as they attempt to recruit and weaken the relationships between the U.S. and African partners. 

He noted the violent extremist group inserts false narratives and statements into the materials they release.

Kenya's urgent security meetings

The claim by the US military comes just a day after intelligence reports in Kenya also linked locals to a series of Al-Shabaab attacks in the country.

Police reports dragged Al-Shabaab returnees and sympathisers to the onslaught, forcing President Uhuru Kenyatta to summon security chiefs.

For the better part of Friday, Uhuru was holed up in a meeting at Mombasa with top police commanders and other security officers.

During his public address, he said, "We call upon all Kenyans to work with security agencies in our bid to curb Al-Shabaab menace."

He added: "Security forces alone cannot eliminate these criminals. We shall note condone sympathisers and collaborators."

The president's tone suggested that intelligence network had established local links to Al-Shabaab frequent attacks.

Reinforcement sent to Manda Bay

Last month, a teacher was linked to an attack in Wajir, northeastern Kenya, of facilitating militants who ambushed a Mandera-bound bus.

Already, the US Africa Command has reinforced the troops in Manda Bay by sending elite East Africa Response Forces, AFRICOM said.

Last week, AFRICOM also deployed US military generals to "establish the truth and the motive of the attack before making recommendations."

The militants disconnected power within the vicinity of the military base before unleashing at early morning hours, locals said.

Although Kenya maintained that no casualties were reported on her side, a series of investigations show that one local was murdered.

Airstrikes to neutralize Al-Shabaab

Since then, the US has responded with a series of airstrikes in southern Somalia, killing at least seven militants in Lower Shebelle, AFRICOM added.

“We assess, based on the persistent pressure that we provide in Somalia, they lack that immediate capability to do that simply because of the pressure applied in Somalia on them now,” Gayler said.

There are roughly 5,000 to 7,000 Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia, according to the command.

AFRICOM conducted 63 airstrikes against violent extremist organizations in 2019 — an increase from the 47 conducted in 2018, and the 35 conducted in 2017.

AFRICOM has already conducted multiple airstrikes against Al-Shabaab in Somalia this month, most recently on Jan. 16 where two militants were killed.

GAROWE ONLINE