Three killed in terrorist attack on US military base as WW3 fears rise US military have confirmed that two Americans from the Department of Defense were also wounded in the attack #ww3 #iran

Three people have been killed by Al-Qaida-linked terror group Al-Shabab in an attack on a US military base.

Camp Simba, a base used by the US military in Kenya was attacked on Sunday morning.

One U.S. military service member and two contractors have been confirmed dead, the US military said in a statement.

The statement added that two Americans from the Department of Defense were also wounded in the attack.

"The wounded Americans are currently in stable condition and being evacuated," the US military's Africa Command said in a statement

Following the incident, Kenyan military spokesman Paul Njuguna said five attackers were dead.

In a statement, they said: "The Mujahideen fighters covertly entered enemy lines, successfully stormed the heavily fortified military base and have now taken effective control of a part of the base."

Al-Shabab, based in neighbouring Somalia, claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement on Sunday evening proclaiming the 10-hour attack over, it asserted 17 US "casualties," nine Kenyan soldiers killed and seven aircraft destroyed.

Lamu county commissioner Irungu Macharia said five suspects were arrested and were being interrogated.

An internal Kenyan police report said to have been seen by the Associated Press said two fixed-wing aircraft - a US Cessna and a Kenyan one - were destroyed along with two US helicopters and multiple US vehicles at the Manda Bay military airstrip.

The report said explosions were heard at around 5.30am from the direction of the airstrip.

The scene, now secured, indicated that al Shabab likely entered "to conduct targeted attacks", the report said.

The US military said only that "initial reports reflect damage to infrastructure and equipment".

The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority said the airstrip was closed for all operations.

Pictures form the scene show a large plume of smoke rising into the air from the base.

"There was an attack but they have been repulsed," Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia told AFP news agency.

Regional analyst Rashid Abdi said he does not believe the attacks can be directly linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

However, he added that Kenyan security forces have long feared Iran is trying to cultivate ties with Al-Shabab.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Avowedly Wahhabist Al-Shabaab not natural ally of Shia Iran, hostile, even.

“But if Kenyan claims true, [Al-Shabab] attack may have been well-timed to signal to Iran it is open for tactical alliances.”

The armed group had claimed the raid resulted in "severe casualties on both American and Kenyan

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source: dailystar