Kenyan special forces were today locked in a fight to the death with Islamic terrorists who have been barricaded inside a Nairobi mall with up to 40 hostages since Saturday.
Witnesses described hearing four large explosions at the Westgate Shopping Centre followed by fierce gun fire after the military tried to break the three day siege by gaining access from the roof.
It is feared that some of the gunmen inside may have blown themselves up, though a Kenyan government minister said that militants had set fire to some mattresses in a supermarket as a decoy.
Update: It's been confirmed that the terrorists didn't blow themselves up, they set ablaze mattresses they got from one of the supermarkets in the mall, as a diversion. The terrorists have been corned in one of the rooms inside the mall.
Witnesses described hearing four large explosions at the Westgate Shopping Centre followed by fierce gun fire after the military tried to break the three day siege by gaining access from the roof.
It is feared that some of the gunmen inside may have blown themselves up, though a Kenyan government minister said that militants had set fire to some mattresses in a supermarket as a decoy.
Update: It's been confirmed that the terrorists didn't blow themselves up, they set ablaze mattresses they got from one of the supermarkets in the mall, as a diversion. The terrorists have been corned in one of the rooms inside the mall.
Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said that two of the terrorists had been killed and that most hostages were now free. All of the militants were men, he added, although some were dressed as women. So far, 69 people have been confirmed dead. At least 175 were injured, including children.
A top military official said he believes the attackers are 'a multinational collection from all over the world.'
Kenya Chief of Defence forces General Julius Karangi said fighters from an array of nations participated in the attack claimed by Al Shabaab, a Somali group allies with al-Qaida.
'We have an idea who this people are and they are clearly a multinational collection from all over the world,' he said. We have an idea who they are, their nationality and even the number. We are fighting global terrorism here and we have sufficient intel (intelligence) to suggest that.'
A Twitter account claiming to represent Al Shabaab yesterday claimed that terrorists from seven nations are involved in the attack, including the U.S., Britain and Canada.
The HSM Press Office account, which has been suspended twice, claimed the group were:
Names of alleged terrorists
Ahmed Nasir Shirdoon, 24, from London, UK;
Gen Mustafe Noorduiin, 27, from Kansas City, U.S.,
Abdifatah Osman Keenadiid, 24, from Minneapolis, U.S.,
Ahmed Mohamad Isse, 22, from Saint Paul, U.S;
Ismael Guled, 23, from Finland;
Abdirizak Mouled, 24, from Ontario, Canada;
Zaki Jama Caraale, 20, and Sayid Nuh, 25, both from Somalia.
Police chief David Kimaiyo said today that some hostages have been freed. However, a group claiming to represent the Al Shabaab terrorists said they are still fighting inside the building.
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