Two airlines have so far cancelled all flights to Lamu following a Sunday dawn attack by Al- Shabaab militants at Manda airstrip.
The two airlines, Fly540 and Skyward Express said, in a notice to their customers, that all flights to and from Lamu have been cancelled until further notice.
“Please note that Manda Airsport has been closed till further notice. All flights to and from Lamu are hereby cancelled,” Fly540 said in a statement shared on twitter.
Please note the following for Lamu.https://t.co/MxoBhvmioL pic.twitter.com/tz03bfTz6W
— Fly540.com (@Fly540Aviation) January 5, 2020
“We regret to inform passengers traveling with us in and out of Lamu that the airport has been closed until further notice.” Reads a tweet by Skyward Express.
MANDA AIRPORT CLOSURE!
We regret to inform passengers traveling with us in and out of Lamu that the airport has been closed until further notice.
For any queries or assistance, please contact our team on 0709 786 000 / 0740 410 703 / 0740 410 700.
— Fly Skyward Express (@SkywardExpress) January 5, 2020
The airstrip was closed indefinitely following an attempted attack by Al Shabaab.
The militants on Sunday morning launched an attack at the Manda airstrip which is adjacent to Camp Simba military base that hosts KDF and U.S forces.
According to Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Spokesman Paul Njuguna, the attack was successfully repulsed.
Colonel Njuguna confirmed that four terrorists were killed following the 5:30 am raid.
“This morning at around 5:30 am an attempt was made to breach security at Manda Air Strip. The attempted breach was successfully repulsed. Four terrorists bodies have so far been found. The airstrip is safe,” he said.
The Al-Shabaab militants were attempting to gain access to the joint military base through the Manda Air Strip.