Al-Shabaab Commander Behind the January 5th Lamu Attack Killed in US Airstrike

An al-Shabaab leader believed to have organized the January 5th, 2019 attack on a military base in Manda Bay, Lamu County has been killed in a US airstrike.

The US military Africa Command (Africom) said the leader, who had a role in planning and directing terrorist operations, was killed alongside his wife in an aerial attack in Somalia on Tuesday.

“Post-strike assessments confirm the two terrorists killed in the Feb. 22 precision airstrikes were an individual associated with the attack on Manda Bay and his wife, who was also a known al-Shabaab member,” Africom said in a statement.

“The two terrorists were identified as a senior al-Shabaab leader, who was in charge of planning and directing terrorist operations on the Kenya border region, including the recent attack on Manda Bay, and his wife, who also was a witting and active member of al-Shabaab responsible for facilitating a wide range of terrorist activities.” 

The airstrike occurred in Saakow, an area located about 320 kilometers west of Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The January raid on Camp Simba, a military base that hosts Kenyan and American troops, resulted in the killing of a US soldier and two Department of Defense contractors. US and Kenyan troops repulsed the attack, killing five al-Shabaab militants.

“Since January 5th, U.S. Africa Command and our partners have pursued those responsible for the attack on U.S. and Kenyan forces at Manda Bay,” Stephen Townsend, the commander of Africom said on Tuesday.

“This strike demonstrates that we will continue to relentlessly pursue those responsible for Manda Bay and those wishing to do harm to Americans and our African partners.”