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 the
sight of thick plumes of smoke and the sounds of fierce gunfire after the
military tried to break the three day siege by gaining access from the roof.
It is feared that
some of the gunmen, who are from Al Qaeda affiliated group Al Shabaab, 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.
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. 'We think the operation will come to an end soon', he
said. 'We are in control of all the floors, the terrorists are running and
hiding in some stores... there is no room for escape'.
The Red Cross has put
the death toll at 62 - including four Britons - and say 63 are still missing.
At least 175 were injured, including children.
There are fears the death toll will rise as security forces search the upmarket shopping complex.
The Kenyan interior
ministry said 'almost all' the hostages have been evacuated from the mall hours
after it was rocked by a series of blasts.
In a Twitter message
it added 'some individuals' have been arrested at Nairobi airport.
Interior Minister
Joseph Ole Lenku said security forces now have control over all four storeys of
the shopping mall.
He said: 'We are
doing anything reasonably possible, cautiously though, to bring this process to
an end.
'The terrorists could
be running and hiding in some stores, but all floors now are under our
control.'
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.
Names of victims
KENYA
President Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew and nephew's fiancee were killed
GHANA
Kofi Awoonor, a Ghanaian poet, professor and former ambassador to Brazil, Cuba and the United Nations, died after being wounded in the attack, Ghana's presidential office confirmed.
Ghana's ministry of information said Awoonor's son was injured and is responding to treatment.
CANADA
Two Canadians, including a diplomat, died in the attack, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He paid tribute to the victims and noted the loss of diplomat Annemarie Desloges, who served in Canada's High Commission to Kenya as a liaison officer with the Canada Border Services Agency.
Her spouse Robert Munk was wounded in the attack, but has since been released from the hospital, the Canadian Press reported.
INDIA
Two Indians, 8-year-old Parmashu Jain and 40-year-old Sridhar Natarajan, were killed, and four others were wounded in the attack.
BRITAIN
The Foreign Office have confirmed that four UK nationals have been killed in the attack.
Prize-winning architect Ross Langdon, who had dual British and Australian citizenship, is believed to be one of the dead.
A British man, who refused to give his name, said his wife and daughter were both killed in the atrocity.
The Foreign Office warned the number of British dead is 'likely to rise as further information becomes available.'
FRANCE
Two French women were killed, President Francois Hollande said.
SOUTH AFRICA
One South African citizen was killed, according to the country's International Relations Department.
THE NETHERLANDS
A 33-year-old Dutch woman died in the attack, believed to be Elif Yavuz, the heavily pregnant partner of British architect Mr Langdon.
Seven other Dutch citizens who were in the mall escaped unharmed, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said.
A 38-year-old Chinese woman with the surname Zhou who worked in the real estate industry was killed in the attack, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. Her son was injured in the attack and was in stable condition in a hospital, according to the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.
PERU
A retired staff member of UNICEF from Peru was killed, the agency's regional office for Eastern and Southern Africa said.
U.S.
Five American citizens were injured, U.S. officials said.
NEW ZEALAND
Andrew McLaren, 34, a New Zealander who managed a factory in Kenya for the avocado oil company Olivado, was wounded in the attack, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed. He was hospitalised in stable condition.
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.
Names of victims
KENYA
President Uhuru Kenyatta's nephew and nephew's fiancee were killed
GHANA
Kofi Awoonor, a Ghanaian poet, professor and former ambassador to Brazil, Cuba and the United Nations, died after being wounded in the attack, Ghana's presidential office confirmed.
Ghana's ministry of information said Awoonor's son was injured and is responding to treatment.
CANADA
Two Canadians, including a diplomat, died in the attack, according to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
He paid tribute to the victims and noted the loss of diplomat Annemarie Desloges, who served in Canada's High Commission to Kenya as a liaison officer with the Canada Border Services Agency.
Her spouse Robert Munk was wounded in the attack, but has since been released from the hospital, the Canadian Press reported.
INDIA
Two Indians, 8-year-old Parmashu Jain and 40-year-old Sridhar Natarajan, were killed, and four others were wounded in the attack.
BRITAIN
The Foreign Office have confirmed that four UK nationals have been killed in the attack.
Prize-winning architect Ross Langdon, who had dual British and Australian citizenship, is believed to be one of the dead.
A British man, who refused to give his name, said his wife and daughter were both killed in the atrocity.
The Foreign Office warned the number of British dead is 'likely to rise as further information becomes available.'
FRANCE
Two French women were killed, President Francois Hollande said.
SOUTH AFRICA
One South African citizen was killed, according to the country's International Relations Department.
THE NETHERLANDS
A 33-year-old Dutch woman died in the attack, believed to be Elif Yavuz, the heavily pregnant partner of British architect Mr Langdon.
Seven other Dutch citizens who were in the mall escaped unharmed, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said.
A 38-year-old Chinese woman with the surname Zhou who worked in the real estate industry was killed in the attack, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported. Her son was injured in the attack and was in stable condition in a hospital, according to the Chinese Embassy in Kenya.
PERU
A retired staff member of UNICEF from Peru was killed, the agency's regional office for Eastern and Southern Africa said.
U.S.
Five American citizens were injured, U.S. officials said.
NEW ZEALAND
Andrew McLaren, 34, a New Zealander who managed a factory in Kenya for the avocado oil company Olivado, was wounded in the attack, the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed. He was hospitalised in stable condition.
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Source: Daily Mail
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