United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) acknowledged a terrorist attack by Al-Qaeda branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen on Camp Simba and later Sunday 5/1/2020 issued a comprehensive statement providing actual BDA. AFRICOM confirmed the death of US Army officer Mitch Mayfiled from Fort Rucker and 2 US DOD Contractors. 2 DOD Contractors were injured but were in stable condition. 6 Contractor operated civilian aircrafts were damaged to some degree. The Kenya Defense Forces Naval troops at Manda Bay did not suffer any casualties.
Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) dispatched the Special Forces to conduct counter operations in the general area. The Units killed 8 militants who had provided support to the suicide group of 5 that breached Camp Simba at Kenya Navy Base Manda Bay. The group leader, Abu Hamza Al-Kinyi was killed by the SF team. Al-Kinyi survived a 2014 airstrike. He was a close associate of Shirwa who was killed in Baure alongside Thomas Evans after they attempted to breach KDF Baure DP.
The Al-Qaeda Branch in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen (HSM) carried out a dawn (istishhadi) suicide terrorist attack targeting Camp Simba, a Joint US and Kenya Army Special Operations Base in Manda, Lamu Prefecture, and a strategic area that joins the Coastal stretch with the North Eastern of the country. At Camp Simba, the US-Army has limited presence despite recent upgrades. However, the camp is used as launching pad for US-Air Force manned aircraft that conduct surveillance and reconnaissance operations in the region.
