Americans killed in al Shabaab militant attack in Kenya

Pictures released by militant group al Shabaab Sunday (January 5) claim to show the aftermath of an attack in Kenya which killed three Americans.

One U.S. military servicemember and two contractors were killed in Sunday's attack on a military base, close to the Somali border.

Several others were wounded. And the Kenyan military said a number of militants were dead.

Pictures showed the islamist group's flag, and masked gunmen standing next to an aircraft in flames.

Al Shabaab claimed it had destroyed seven aircraft and three military vehicles.

They have been fighting for more than a decade to overthrow the Somali government and impose strict Islamic law.

Now the attack presents another crisis for Washington.

The Pentagon is grappling with a rapidly escalating standoff with Iran following a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iran's top military commander.