AAN World News: Garissa County Airfield Recaptured and Diplomatic Outpost Evacuated in Kenya

[J. Hill]

AAN World News: Garissa County Airfield Recaptured and Diplomatic Outpost Evacuated in Kenya

 

Today the U.S Department of Defense announced their involvement in the assisted recapture of the Garissa County airfield in Kenya, the airfield served the Kenyans as the primary air corridor to Somalia, in the nation's own assistance mission to the African nation. The U.S claimed their assistance to the Kenyans after images surfaced online depicting U.S Military transport and personnel within the town of Shwasana. The statement comes three days after images first appeared social media and news networks.

 

The statement provided by the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin:

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"On Saturday the 12th of this month, members of U.S Special Operations executed a multi-staged operation to assist the Kenyan Defence Force with the resecuring of a Military Airfield, on top of this; due to the spike of terror activity within the area of Garissa county, it was decided by onsite staff to evacuate a diplomatic outpost within the town of Shwasana. Partner forces alongside the United States executed the mission over the course of 72 hours. The airfield was quickly secured and members of our Special Operations Forces pushed to Shwasana. Evacuation was completed the following morning. Tragically however one of our staff, Michael Willbrook, succumbed to his injuries sustained during an assault conducted by the terror group Al Shabaab. The site was successfully evacuated and staff moved to the airfield for return to the United States via Germany.

Unfortunately, the operation took the lives of several members of the deployed U.S Special Operations Forces. The United States remains committed to assisting the Kenyans in ridding their nation of the terror group. With this spike of activity that is very much out of character for the group, our analysts have speculated more attacks to come."

The United States has had a hand in security and training members of the Kenyan Defence Force alongside the United Kingdom and other partner nations. With the rise in cross-border activity by Al Shabaab warnings have been issued to settlements along the border region to evacuate or relocate as soon as possible. The International Development and Aid Project, or IDAP, have largely widened operations within the horn of Africa, dispatching humanitarian aid and developmental aid to the Kenyan populous.