State Dept. offers $10 million reward for info on 2020 US base attack in Kenya that killed 3 Americans

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.

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“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. 

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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. 

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.