Joint US-Kenya Military Base Attacked By Al-Shabaab

A military base used by Kenyan and American troops on Kenya's coast has been attacked by Al-Shabaab extremists.

Four attackers were killed in the attempted raid which happened at 5:30am on Sunday morning,  the Kenyan military said.

A witness said they saw a plume of black smoke above Manda Bay Airfield and said residents reported a car bomb.

The US Africa Command confirmed the attack but denied Al-Shabaab's claims that American and Kenya soldiers had suffered "severe casualties".

"Al-Shabaab resorts to lies, coercion, and the exertion of force to bolster their reputation to create false headlines," said Major General William Gayler, US Africa Command Director of Operations.

In a statement, US Africa Command said "initial reports reflect damage to infrastructure and equipment".

The base is used by the US to provide training and counter-terrorism support to its East African partners.

Al-Shabaab, which linked to Al-Qaida, is based in neighbouring Somalia and is the target of a growing number of US air strikes.

Cover Image: US troops during a flag-raising ceremony at Manda Bay Airfield (Picture: US Department of Defense).