The State Department on Thursday said it is offering a $10 million reward for those who may have information leading to suspects involved in the 2020 attack on a U.S. base in Manda Bay, Kenya, which resulted in the death of three Americans.
“On Jan. 5, 2020, dozens of al-Shabaab terrorists attacked U.S. personnel at a military base in Manda Bay, Kenya using mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms,” the department said in a statement released on the three-year anniversary of the attack.
The department is calling on anyone with information on the individuals involved in the attack on the airfield to “submit a tip” and they could be “be eligible” to receive up to $10 million in reward funds.
The Pentagon in March 2022 released the findings of an independent investigation into the attack and found that a “force of 30 to 40 determined, disciplined, and well-resourced al-Shabaab fighters” attacked the base.
US SOLDIER KILLED IN AL-SHABAB ATTACK IN KENYA IDENTIFIED
The United States said on November 14, 2022 it was increasing its reward for information about key leaders of Somalia’s Al-Shabaab to $10 million apiece, a move that follows a spate of deadly attacks by the jihadist group.
(Photo by SIMON MAINA/AFP via Getty Images)
“The investigation and independent review further found that no single point of failure resulted in the loss of life and damage to property, and no single act or omission would have avoided the attack,” the release on the investigation said.
The review found that “several casual factors” instead led to the terrorist group’s assault, including inadequate force protection measures, security preparedness and a lack of understanding of the threat.
U.S. Army Soldier, Specialist Henry J. Mayfield, and two U.S. contract personnel, Bruce Triplett and Dustin Harrison were killed in the attack. Three other American personnel and one Kenyan soldier were also injured.
Members of the hardline al Shabaab Islamist rebel group parade through the streets of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, January 1, 2010.
(REUTERS/Feisal Omar)
US FORCES KILL TWO AL-SHABAAB TERRORISTS IN AIRSTRIKE IN SOMALIA, PENTAGON SAYS
Eight officers and enlisted personnel were reportedly disciplined for failure to act or actions that contributed to the success of the assault the Air Force said in March.
The mass assault resulted in the destruction of $71.5 million worth of U.S. government resources.
A series of measures were taken to improve force protection not only on the Manda Bay base but on U.S. bases across the continent.
NAIROBI, KENYA – SEPTEMBER 25: (SOUTH AFRICA OUT) KDF Officers leave the Westgate Mall on September 25, 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya. The Mall was hit with a terrorist attack on Saturday, 10-15 gunmen from the extremist group Al-Shabab entered the mall and opened fire at random on shoppers; 68 deaths have been confirmed.
(Photo by Denish Ochieng/Nation Media/Gallo Images/Getty Images))
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
At least four of the militants were killed in the assault that was successfully repelled, according to a post by the Kenya Defense Forces on the day of the attack.
The al-Shabaab terrorist group has been responsible for several major attacks in Kenya, including the 2013 Westgate Mall attack where at least 67 people were killed, and the 2015 attack on Kenya’s Garissa University where 148 people were killed.
Discussion about this post