More Report From CHAT 212 Africa FM
IN Kenya - Somali-based militants claim responsibility for Kenyan shopping mall massacre in which at least 59 have died
Al-Shabab said on its new Twitter feed - ‘We'll not negotiate with the Kenyan govt as long as its forces are invading our country, so reap the bitter fruits of your harvest,’ al-Shabab said in a tweet.
IN Kenya - Somali-based militants claim responsibility for Kenyan shopping mall massacre in which at least 59 have died
Al-Shabab said on its new Twitter feed - ‘We'll not negotiate with the Kenyan govt as long as its forces are invading our country, so reap the bitter fruits of your harvest,’ al-Shabab said in a tweet.
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| A soldier directs people up stairs inside the Westgate shopping mall after a shootout in Nairobi, Kenya. Gunmen had fired automatic weapons and grenades |
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| Soldiers take positions outside the shopping centre in Nairobi. Dozens of people have been killed after masked gunmen stormed the mall and held shoppers |
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| A woman holds a baby sitting with other injured people who are crying for help after gunmen went on a shooting spree in the Westgate shopping centr |
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| People come out from hiding under a car next to bodies in a car park as police search for the armed radicals |
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| An image grab taken from AFP TV shows civilians being evacuated from the mall |
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| Kenya security personnel walk to their positions outside the shopping mall as the siege continues |
Journalists at the Westgate shopping centre said this afternoon's explosion - followed by silence - was by far the largest in the 30-hour siege.
An estimated 10 to 15 militant attackers were tonight in the shopping mall holding an unknown number of captives, said Kenyan officials.
Three Britons were today confirmed dead. The Kenyan military has gone into the four-storey mall and there have been sporadic gun battles.
Kenyan troops were seen carrying in at least two rocket-propelled grenades - and earlier, military helicopters hovered over the mall.
Security officials were unable to say how many people were being held captive by the terrorists.
Kenya's Red Cross said in a statement citing police that 49 people had been reported missing.
Officials did not make an explicit link but that number could form the basis of the number of people held captive.
Somalia's al-Qaida-linked rebel group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack in which they used grenades and assault rifles and specifically targeted non-Muslims. The attackers included some women.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta reiterated his government's determination to continue fighting al-Shabab.
‘We went as a nation into Somalia to help stabilise the country and most importantly to fight terror that had been unleashed on Kenya and the world,’ said Mr Kenyatta. ‘We shall not relent on the war on terror.’
He said although this violent attack had succeeded, the Kenyan security forces had ‘neutralised’ many others.
Earlier in the day, Mr Kenyatta said he his nephew and his nephew's fiancee were killed in the attack.
Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga told reporters at the mall that a number of people were being held hostage on the third floor and the basement area of the mall, which includes stores for Nike, Adidas and Bose.
Kenyan security officials sought to reassure the families of hostages inside but implied that hostages could be killed.
