NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A U.S. service member and two civilian contractors working for the Defense Department were killed in an attack by Al-Shabaab in Kenya on Sunday, U.S. Africa Command announced Sunday evening.
The Al-Shabaab attack is the first known assault by the Al-Qaeda-linked extremist group against U.S. forces in the eastern African country.
U.S. Africa Command confirmed the attack occurred early Sunday at Camp Simba in Lamu County.
An internal Kenyan police report says a fixed-wing U.S. aircraft and two U.S. helicopters were destroyed in the attack at the Manda Bay military airstrip.
Al-Shabaab also attacked a U.S. base inside neighboring Somalia last year.
