US sends top officials to probe Manda Bay raid

Investigations into the Al-Shabaab attack during which three American soldiers were killed just went up a notch higher as the US sent top officials to assess the situation at Manda Bay, Lamu.

Two US Department of Defence members were also injured during the attack that was staved off by a combined effort of Kenya Defence Forces and US soldiers.

The officials were sent from the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for all of the United States’ security operations in Africa.

“I immediately sent members of my command team to hear directly from our troops and commanders on the ground about the details of the attack by al-Shabaab,” AFRICOM Commander US Army Gen Stephen Townsend said.

The members in the command team that visited Camp Simba base on Thursday include US Army Major General Michael Turello, the commander who oversees operations in the Horn of Africa, US Air Force Brigadier General Leonard Kosinski, the command’s director of logistics, together with the command’s top senior enlisted leader and an investigating officer.

US service members comprising part of AFRICOM’S East Africa Response Force were also deployed to secure the airfield and augment security. They consisted of between 50 and 100 troops who arrived at the Manda Bay Airfield on Sunday.

Genreal Townsend said the US remained unbowed despite the attack.