Department of Defense identifies U.S. soldier killed in Kenya

Jan. 6 (UPI) -- The Department of Defense on Monday identified a U.S. soldier killed in an attack on an American military base in Kenya over the weekend.

Spc. Henry J. Mayfield Jr., 23, of Evergreen Park, Ill., was killed during the attack in Manda Bay on Sunday, the Pentagon said. He was in Kenya supporting Operation Octave shield as a member of the 1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group from Fort Rucker, Ala.

The Pentagon said the incident is under investigation.

Mayfield and two Defense Department contractors were killed in the attack carried out by al-Shabab, a Somali terror group linked to al-Qaida, and two others were injured.

Kenya Defense Forces said terrorists attempted to breach security at the Manda Bay Airfield at about 5:30 a.m., striking Mayfield and the four others and damaging six civilian aircraft.