A US citizen has been charged over taking part in an al Shabaab attack at a KDF camp in Lamu in June 2015 and conspiring to work with the terror group.

Maalik Jones was charged with conspiring to receive military-type training from the group and possessing, carrying and using firearms during and in relation to violent crimes.

He also allegedly appeared in videos by the Somalia-based terror group that is linked to al Qaeda, the US Justice Department said in a statement on Monday.

The Department said Jones has appeared in at least two videos that were recovered from a fighter.

"In one of the videos, Jones possessed a firearm, and is seen with several al Shabaab fighters who, on June 14, 2015, participated in an attack on a KDF base in Lamu county, during which two soldiers were killed, reads the statement.

Jones is said to have taken a commercial flight from New York to Kenya, with stops in Morocco and the UAE around July 2011 before leaving for Somalia.

"He trained, worked and fought with al Shabaab in Somalia. Among other things, Jones received military training at an al Shabaab training camp, where he learned to operate an AK 47 assault rifle and rocket-propelled grenades," read the statement.

He is said to have then joined Jaysh Ayman, al Shabaab’s specialised fighting force, and taken part in operations targeting the Kenya Defence Forces.

The Department said Jones could get a maximum sentence of life in jail if found guilty, adding the firearms offence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.

US Attorney Preet Attorney Bharara said the suspect will face American justice in a Manhattan federal court.

The case is being prosecuted by two assistant attorneys of the Southern District of New York and one from the National Security Division’s Counter-terrorism Section.

Diego Rodriguez, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, said Jones was recently caught attempting to get to Yemen.

"Jones was trained to kill and destroy communities," he said, adding the case demonstrates the international nature of crimes including terrorism.