Al Shabaab says 7 aircraft destroyed in attack on Kenya base

NAIROBI: Somali Islamist terrorists said they

destroyed seven aircraft and three vehicles on

Sunday in an attack on a military base in

Kenya's Lamu county used by both US and

Kenyan troops, although their account could

not be independently verified.

In a statement, the al Shabaab group said the

attack, launched at dawn, was continuing hours

later and said their fighters were engaging US

troops in close-quarters combat.

"Seven aircraft and three military vehicles were

destroyed in the attack," said the statement,

which included photos of aircraft ablaze and an

al Shabaab militant standing nearby.

In a tweet, the US Africa Command confirmed

an attack on the Manda Bay Airfield had

occurred. It said it was monitoring the situation

and would provide an update "as facts and

details emerge".

- Avijit Paul