On January 29, al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia, al-Shabab al-Mujahedeen, released a new video documenting its attack on the U.S. military base at Camp Simba in Kenya.
The video, which was shared by al-Khataib Media, includes the never-before-seen footage of the large-scale attack, which took Kenyan and US troops at Camp Simba by surprise.
Camp Simba, which is located near Manda Bay on the mainland of Lamu County, hosted around 100 US troops along with an undisclosed number of Kenyan troops. The camp was used as a base for intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism operations.
Fewer than 20 al-Shabaab militants raided the camp on January 5, 2020. The militants managed to infiltrate the camp’s defenses and reach its main airstrip, where they targeted several planes with rocket-propelled grenades.
The attackers destroyed eight planes, including a Havilland Dash 8 which was configured to carry out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in the region.
Al-Shabab’s new video includes drone footage showing all eight planes bursting into flames near the runway of Camp Simba. US troops had abandoned the camp to nearby fortified positions.
Video of Al-Shabaab militants of drone footage of its attack on the #US naval base in Manda Bay, #Kenya
January 5, 2020 pic.twitter.com/oxydmkRI2d— Islamic World Update (@islamicworldupd) January 31, 2021
As a result of al-Shabab’s attack, a US soldier acting as air traffic controller in Camp Simba was killed along with two American contractors flying for L3 Technologies.
Initially, the US Africa Command admitted that al-Shabaab had “achieved a degree of success in its attack.” Later, the command claimed to have killed the al-Shabab commander who had planned the attack. No additional information was provided.
A recent release by al-Shabab revealed that the attackers met with the group’s top leader, Abu Ubaydah Ahmad Omar, just before the raid.
The attack was a major blow to US military operations in East Africa. Al-Shabab and a number of other terrorist groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS are still highly active in the region.
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