Delta Force in Kenya: How outnumbered U.S. soldiers hunted down, crushed terrorists

The year was 2007, and a silent war was being waged in the sun-baked, lawless expanses of the Horn of Africa. 

It was four years before the Kenya Defence Forces entered Somalia to fight off terrorism that was becoming a menace which needed to be contained. 

The U.S. was keeping close tabs on the region’s security situation using both overt and covert tactics. 

This wasn't a declared conflict, but a shadow dance, a battle fought by elite U.S. forces, their presence a closely guarded secret. 

A story is told by former Delta Force operator Chris VanSant about how three elite U.S. special forces operators quietly trailed a group of terrorists from Mombasa to Somalia before crushing them.   

The Strategic Importance of the Horn of Africa

The Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia, had become a dangerous hub for terrorist activity 

The conflict in the country provided fertile ground for recruiting and training Al Qaeda fighters from across Africa and the Middle East and preparing them for deadly missions.

This unstable region made it crucial for the U.S. military to step in and disrupt the flow of terrorists. 

Operating out of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, VanSant was part of a meticulously assembled "Rainbow Coalition", a small, diverse team comprising operators from Delta Force, SEALs, Air Force combat controllers and pararescue specialists, and Ranger Reconnaissance Detachment.

This formidable, yet lean, unit relied heavily on human intelligence, meeting directly with individuals on the ground. 

They also relied on an aircraft that intercepted live satellite phone calls from terrorists, with local interpreters identifying voices and guiding the team toward their targets.

Mombasa Intelligence

In late May or early June, the mission became more urgent. Human intelligence from Mombasa revealed that two high-profile terrorists, Harun Fazul and Saleh Nabhan, were in the area. 

Both were wanted for their roles in the deadly 1993 U.S. Embassy bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. The intel showed they were preparing to leave by boat with 18 to 20 other militants, heading to Yemen through southern Somalia. They were key players in a larger network that smuggled foreign fighters across the region.

VanSant's team saw their chance, but the odds were stacked against them. Lacking the naval assets for a sea interdiction or the overwhelming force for a direct hit in urban Mombasa, they forged a daring, desperate plan to trail the group. 

They leveraged a clandestine relationship the CIA had nurtured with the Puntland Defence Force (PDF) in Northern Somalia, led by a former warlord named Bashir, a man whose loyalty, as VanSant wryly noted, was "the best friends money could buy at the moment."

VanSant, a Navy SEAL, and a Combat Controller named Brady flew into Somalia, landing in Bosaso to link up with Bashir.

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Ambush in Bargal 

But fate had other plans. Rough seas forced the terrorists’ boat to run aground near the remote town of Bargal. 

A brief but intense shootout with locals broke out before the militants disappeared into the nearby hills. 

Frightened by the armed strangers, villagers reported their movements, confirming the U.S. team's earlier intel that the criminals were in the area.

Against overwhelming odds, 18 to 20 heavily armed terrorists against VanSant's three Americans and eight to ten Somalis, they drove into Bargal. 

Their plan: establish a patrol base out of small arms range, visible enough to "wait them out." The sweltering 110-degree heat and the damaged boat, they reasoned, would eventually flush out their prey.

But Bashir, impatient and eager for action, grew restless. "I'm taking my guys and I'm going over the hill to kill them (terrorists)," he challenged, "You can come with me if you want, unless you're scared." 

To maintain the fragile alliance, the U.S. soldiers agreed to a "move to contact" using bounding overwatch, machine gun teams on the flanks, the three Americans tightly together.

As they climbed over the first hill, a heavy machine gun opened fire. When they reached the main ridge, chaos erupted. 

Gunfire poured in from a gully behind them, and two Somali soldiers were hit. Bullets zipped past VanSant as four or five enemy fighters charged up the ridge. 

In the middle of it all, Bashir, their only translator and local guide, was shot three times while standing exposed. 

Phil quickly dragged him to cover for urgent medical help. Amid the confusion, VanSant and Brady returned fire, bouncing bullets off rocks to stop the attackers.

READ ALSO: Inside Kenya's Special Operations Group, where only 5% of recruits graduate

Naval Fire and Covert Evacuation

With five wounded Somalis, including Bashir, their sole English speaker, and still under heavy fire, Brady's voice cut through the din: 

With five wounded Somalis, including Bashir, their only English speaker, and bullets still flying, Brady suggested they seek assistance from a U.S. Navy ship that was based along the Indian Ocean coast.

They quickly passed their pre-planned target coordinates to the Navy destroyer waiting offshore. 

At the same time, VanSant radioed in a 'troops in contact' report, carefully avoiding any mention of the Somalis' nationality to protect the mission.

As the team pulled back, the navy destroyer fired 24 powerful rounds that tore through the valley, shaking the ground and forcing the enemy to scatter.

Under the cloak of darkness, they commandeered vehicles, loaded the wounded, and drove to a deserted Russian dirt airfield. 

Hours later, a Casa aircraft landed, bringing in Pararescuemen (PJs) from Djibouti who immediately began treating the wounded. The injured Somalis were then flown to a hospital at the naval base in Djibouti, catching the staff off guard. Remarkably, all of them survived.

READ ALSO: Heroic KDF soldier who neutralised 89 terrorists before going missing

Unexpected Praise

The next morning, the U.S. operators, now a six-man force, ventured back "over the hill." They found several dead bodies, including one they initially believed was Harun Fazul, based on his resemblance. 

Among the deceased were "a who's who of bad guys from around the globe," with British, Yemeni, and Syrian passports and a treasure trove of intelligence. 

While a DNA team eventually determined the suspected Fazul was not him due to the absence of a distinct appendix scar, the mission was deemed a "decent hit," yielding invaluable passports, money, laptops, and crucial intelligence.

When they returned to Djibouti, bloodied, bruised, and expecting a reprimand, the team was instead met with unexpected praise. 

The base Admiral, impressed by their bold decision to act on their own, exclaimed, "That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!" and added, "You guys have some serious guts." VanSant credited the Navy’s precise support and quick response, saying it was proof that their intense training had paid off when it mattered most.

The Chris VanSant Nairobi mission stands as a testament to the unseen battles fought by U.S. in Kenya and the broader U.S. military in East Africa. 

It's a gripping narrative of courage, improvisation, and the high-stakes Horn of Africa counterterrorism efforts that continue to shape global security.