UPDATE 1-Islamist group al Shabaab attacks Kenya base used by Kenyan, U.S. forces

Somalia's Islamist group al Shabaab on Sunday attacked a military base in Lamu county in Kenya that is used by both U.S. and Kenyan forces, a source and al Shabaab said.

"They have attacked Manda airstrip in Lamu, which is just next to the military camp that hosts military personnel from many countries including Kenya and the U.S. We are informed that fighting is still ongoing," the military source told Reuters. He said the fighters were trying to access the base from the airstrip.

Al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgent group fighting to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed Somali government, also put out a statement promising further updates. "An elite group of soldiers from Harakat Al-Shabaab Al Mujahideen's 'Martyrdom Brigade' launched a daring dawn raid on a U.S. naval base known as 'Camp Simba' in Lamu County, Kenya.

"...the base is home to hundreds of U.S.military personnel and Kenyan soldiers and serves as one of the many launch pads for the American crusade against Islam in the region," the al Shabaab statement said.