US Army Deploys Special Force to Lamu After Attack

The United States on Wednesday, January 8, confirmed the deployment of a special force to Manda Bay Airfield in Lamu County following a terrorist attack on Sunday, January 5.

A statement from US Africa Command (Africom) stated that the US service members were sent to secure the base after the heinous attack.

The deployed service members are part of a unit known as the East Africa Response Force (EARF).

Image of U.S Army soldiers assigned to EARF sitting aboard a plane at Camp Lemoinner, Djibouti

“The EARF provides a critical combat-ready, rapid deployment force.

“The EARF’s ability to respond to events spanning a vast area of responsibility provides a proven and invaluable on-call reinforcement capability in times of need,” explained Africom Director of Operations U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler.

Somali-based terror group Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack which left three US servicemembers dead.

The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) and their American counterparts shared the Lamu base primarily used for training activities and crisis response.

Condemning the group for executing various attacks, Maj. Gen. Gayler further alluded to Al-Shabaab's use of propaganda and fake news to advance their agenda.

“Al-Shabaab resorts to lies, coercion, and the exertion of force to bolster their reputation to create false headlines. It is important to counter Al-Shabaab where they stand to prevent the spread of this cancer,” he maintained.

He described Al-Shabaab as a brutal terrorist organisation out to erase Western influence and ideals across East Africa.

“It is an al-Qaeda affiliate seeking to establish a self-governed Islamic territory in East Africa, to remove Western influence and ideals from the region, and to further its jihadist agenda. U.S. presence in Africa is critically important to counter-terrorism efforts,” the statement read in part.

Aside from crisis response, members of the EARF provide security at the U.S military base at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, and travel around the region on training missions with partner nations.

An aerial view of a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC 63) heading towards Manda Bay Kenyan Naval training area in Kenya, Africa
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