The Somali government on Sunday condemned a foiled terror attack that targeted Kenyan and U.S. forces based at a military airfield in the coastal county of Lamu, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
The government said the repelled dawn attack from the crumbling al-Shabab terror group aimed at defense personnel and property will not hinder the joint efforts to eliminate those against the peace and stability of the region.
"The Federal Republic of Somalia joins the rest of the world in condemning the cowardly attack that targeted joint Kenyan and U.S. forces based at Manda Bay Airfield, Kenya earlier today," the Somali government said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
The statement came hours after the militant group staged a daring dawn attack at Manda Bay Airfield which is adjacent to Camp Simba military base where U.S. forces provide training and counter-terrorism support to East African partners.
Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters killed 17 U.S. and nine Kenyan soldiers, destroying seven aircraft and five military vehicles.
However, Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) spokesman Paul Njuguna who confirmed that the joint forces of the U.S. and Kenya killed five al-Shabab militants in the attack, said the terror group is known for "propagating false and misleading information in an attempt to grab headlines and feed their egos."
The Somali government also lauded the KDF and the U.S. Africa Command for swiftly repulsing the attack, thus inflicting a heavy defeat on the al-Shabab terror organization.
The Somali government assured full support in the ongoing efforts to rid the region of terrorism and vowed to continue collaborating with regional and international partners to attain peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.