Camp Simba attack

Last updated

Camp Simba attack
Part of the War in Somalia
Date5 January 2020
Location
Lamu County, Kenya
Result Al-Shabaab victory [1] [2]
Belligerents
Flag of the United States.svg  United States
Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya 		ShababFlag.svg Al-Shabaab
Strength
Flag of the United States.svg ~100 [3]
Flag of Kenya.svg Unknown		 ~30-40 militants [4]
Casualties and losses
Flag of the United States.svg 1 soldier, 2 contractors killed [2] [3]
5 aircraft destroyed
1 aircraft damaged
2 Oshkosh M-ATV
several fuel tanker destroyed [2] [5]
Flag of Kenya.svg None		 5 killed
5 arrested
Unknown wounded [6]

The Camp Simba attack was a pre-dawn attack at Magagoni Airfield near Camp Simba on 5 January 2020. The camp is used by Kenyan and U.S. troops and is located near Manda Bay on the mainland of Lamu County, Kenya. The perpetrators were al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based Islamic extremist insurgent group. Approximately 30-40 [4] al-Shabaab militants assaulted Camp Simba, which was home to around 100 US personnel along with an undisclosed number of Kenyan troops. It was the first al-Shabaab targeting of US military personnel in Kenya. [7]

Contents

The timing of the attack coincided with recent Iranian threats of retaliation to target US troops in response to the US assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in the 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike. However, al-Shabaab claimed no link between their decision to attack and to those events. [8]

The raid

Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Manda Bay has three main parts: Kenyan Naval Base Manda Bay, Camp Simba, the U.S. "base within a base" where most U.S. forces are housed and work, and nearby Magagoni Airfield. The attack occurred at Magagoni Airfield, a joint-use installation, approximately a mile south of Camp Simba. [9]

The raid began at 0520 hours with an al-Shabaab attack on the Manda Air Strip targeting a taxiing Beechcraft King Air 350 surveillance plane with rocket-propelled grenade (RPGs). Two American contractors flying for L3 Technologies, employed by the US Department of Defense, were killed in this initial attack and a third injured. [10] A US army soldier acting as air traffic controller from a truck was killed in the ensuing gunfight that erupted after the attack on the plane. [10]

Kenya Defence Forces personnel responded first to the attack and attempted to repulse the militants. [11] With the support of Department of Defense personnel and a Kenyan MD500 attack helicopter, the combined forces conducted an assault to secure the airfield while a squad from the Kenya Ranger Regiment cleared the perimeter. [12] The fighting continued for around an hour and the al-Shabaab attack was repelled. [6] Five al-Shabaab militants died in the attack and five were arrested, according to the Kenya Defence Forces and United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). [13] [3]

In the raid, al-Shabaab targeted vehicles and aircraft at the airstrip with RPGs, In the attack two Oshkosh M-ATV were destroyed, Five aircraft and helicopters were destroyed, one aircraft was damaged, and several fuel tankers. [1] [8] [14] Some of the airframes lost included a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 and two helicopters operated by US contractors. [8] [1] The Havilland Dash 8 was in use as a spy plane, and was configured for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in the region. [8] As a result of the significant aircraft losses, AFRICOM admitted that al-Shabaab had "achieved a degree of success in its attack." [2]

Participation of Kenyan forces

According to The New York Times , an investigation based on eyewitness reports revealed that the Kenyan troops stationed at the Manda Air Strip hid in grass fields during the attack. [10] This was denied by the Kenya Defence Forces. [6]

An independent review of the attack by the Pentagon credited the role of Kenya Defence Force, Kenya Navy and Kenya Ranger Regiment members in responding to the attack of their own accord and assaulting enemy positions. [11] KDF personnel with the support of a Kenyan McDonnell Douglas MD 500 Defender helicopter gunship took the lead in clearing a hangar and suppressing al-Shabaab positions. The review contradicts earlier reports by The New York Times and cites operational failures by US military forces.

Aftermath

Along with claiming to have inflicted 40 casualties on US forces, al-Shabaab claimed to have killed US General Stephen J. Townsend in their raid, however, this claim was dismissed by AFRICOM. [8]

In response to the raid, on 9 January AFRICOM sent two of its senior military officers to oversee a formal investigation. [7]

On 22 February 2020, AFRICOM claimed to have killed the al-Shabaab commander who had planned the attack, but did not provide any names; the rebels did not confirm any losses among its leadership at the time. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa</span> Military operation

Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) is a component of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) is the primary military component assigned to accomplish the objectives of the mission. The naval components are the multinational Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) and Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) which operates under the direction of the United States Fifth Fleet. Both of these organizations have been historically part of United States Central Command. In February 2007, United States President George W. Bush announced the establishment of the United States Africa Command which took over all of the area of operations of CJTF-HOA in October 2008.

Manda Airport, also called Lamu Airport, is an airport in Kenya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali civil war (2009–present)</span> Present phase of the ongoing Somali Civil War, concentrated in southern Somalia

The Somali civil war (2009–present) is the ongoing phase of the Somali civil war which is concentrated in southern and central Somalia. It began in late January 2009 with the present conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Shabaab militants who pledged alliegence to al-Qaeda during 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2011 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Linda Nchi</span> Kenyan military operation (2011–2012)

Operation Linda Nchi was the Kenya Defence Forces' invasion of southern Somalia beginning in 2011. The Kenyan government declared the operation completed in March 2012, but its forces then joined AMISOM in Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2012 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terrorism in Kenya</span>

Many terrorist attacks have occurred in Kenya during the 20th and 21st centuries. In 1980, the Jewish-owned Norfolk hotel was attacked by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 1998, the US embassy was bombed in Nairobi, as was the Israeli-owned Paradise hotel in 2002 in Mombasa. In 2013, the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab killed 67 people at Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Mall. There have also been many other attacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kismayo (2012)</span> Part of the War in Somalia

The Battle of Kismayo was an offensive led by the Kenya Defence Forces, under the codename Operation Sledge Hammer, to seize the port city of Kismayo, Somalia, from Al-Shabaab from 28 September 2012. Members of the Raskamboni movement militia were part of the amphibious force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2014 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Indian Ocean</span> 2014–2015 Somali–AMISOM–US mission against al-Shabaab

Operation Indian Ocean was a joint military operation between the Somali military, AMISOM and the United States military against the Al-Shabaab militant group aimed at eliminating the remaining insurgent-held areas in southern Somalia. It officially began in August 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2015 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baledogle Airfield</span> Military air base in Somalia

Baledogle Airfield, also called Wanlaweyn Airstrip, is the largest military air base in Somalia, about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The airfield was constructed in the 1970s for the Somali Air Force with assistance of the Soviet Union. It was later expanded on and modernized by the United States during the 2010s.

This article contains a timeline of events for the Somali jihadist group al-Shabaab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of El Adde</span> Al-Shabaab-KDF military incident in 2016

The Battle of El Adde took place on 15 January 2016. Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on a Kenyan-run AMISOM army base in the town of El Adde, Gedo, Somalia. It remains the deadliest attack on the African Union Mission to Somalia and is the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) largest defeat since independence in 1963. As such, the Kenyan government went to extreme lengths to conceal the extent of its losses. It has been described by the media as a "military massacre" or military disaster. It was also the largest military defeat in Kenyan history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kulbiyow</span> Battle Of Kulbiyow

The Battle of Kulbiyow took place on 27 January 2017, when al-Shabaab militants attacked and took control of the military base and town of Kulbiyow, held by the Somali Armed Forces and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2016 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2017 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American military intervention in Somalia (2007–present)</span> US military intervention against extremist groups in Somalia

Since the early 2000s, the United States has provided military support to the Transitional Federal Government and the Federal Government of Somalia in conflicts. U.S. military actions in Somalia date back to the 1980s; however, following the September 11th attacks, military action was justified as counterterrorism. The Obama and Trump administrations conducted drone and fighter aircraft strikes, advisory missions, and training; provided intelligence; and attacked al-Shabaab militants. Two U.S. special operations personnel, two contractors, one US Army soldier, and a CIA paramilitary officer have died during operations in Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danab Brigade</span> Highly-trained commando force of the Somali National Army

The Danab Brigade, also known as the Somali Danab, is an elite special operations force in the Somali National Army that is made up of members from multiple clans throughout Somalia. The force specializes in special operations and raiding which have been successful on recapturing territory previously held by the Al-Qaeda affiliate group, Al-Shabaab.

List of events from the year 2020 in Kenya.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Guled, Abdi; Odula, Tom; Anna, Cara (6 January 2020). "Extremists attack Kenya military base, 3 Americans killed". Associated Press. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Roggio, Bill (26 February 2020). "AFRICOM kills Shabaab commander behind Manda Bay Airfield attack". Long War Journal. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 "Camp Simba: Three Americans killed in Kenya base". BBC News. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  4. 1 2 Funk, Paul (29 November 2021). "Subject: Executive Summary of Report of Independent Review of the USAFRICOM 15-6 Investigation re:Attack on CSL Manda Bay" (PDF).
  5. ↑ "1 U.S. Serviceperson, 2 Contractors Dead, 6 Planes Struck, Including Rare Spy Plane, In Kenya Attack (Updated)". The Drive. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Rempfer, Kyle (23 January 2020). "101st Airborne deployed to Manda Bay after Al-Shabab attack". Army Times. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  7. 1 2 Babb, Carla (9 January 2020). "Exclusive: AFRICOM Sends Top Brass to Kenya to Investigate al-Shabab Attack". Voice of America. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Trevithick, Joseph (5 January 2020). "1 U.S. Serviceperson, 2 Contractors Dead, 6 Planes Struck, Including Rare Spy Plane, In Kenya Attack (Updated)". The Drive. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  9. ↑ Funk 2021, p. 1.
  10. 1 2 3 Gibbons-Neff, Thomas; Schmitt, Eric; Savage, Charlie; Cooper, Helene (22 January 2020). "Chaos as Militants Overran Airfield, Killing 3 Americans in Kenya". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  11. 1 2 Funk 2021.
  12. ↑ "US AFRICOM Awards Three KDF Personnel for their Heroic Deeds during the January 2020 Manda Attack – Ministry of Defence – Kenya". mod.go.ke. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
  13. ↑ Rambaran, Vandana (5 January 2020). "Kenya attack by al-Shabab militants kills US servicemember, 2 American contractors". Fox News. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  14. ↑ "1 U.S. Serviceperson, 2 Contractors Dead, 6 Planes Struck, Including Rare Spy Plane, In Kenya Attack (Updated". The Drive. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 19 August 2021.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.