Al-Shabab claims Nairobi attack at Westgate Mall

[AhlulbaytSoldier]

Deadly gunbattle in Nairobi shopping mall
At least 15 people killed and seven hostages held after gunmen take over Kenyan shopping centre.
Last Modified: 21 Sep 2013 13:38
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A gunbattle inside a shopping centre in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has left at least 15 people dead, according to the Kenyan Red Cross.

Police are exchanging fire with gunmen at the Westgate centre in the Westlands district - one of the city's most exclusive shopping malls. The gunmen are reported to be carrying assault rifles and wearing combat fatigues.

Police and security guards, who are calling the siege a "terrorist incident", told the AFP news agency that gunmen have also taken at least seven hostages.

One witness who spoke to Al Jazeera from inside the mall said the centre was busy with Saturday afternoon shoppers when gunfire erupted.

Another witness said the attackers threw grenades into the building at about midday local time (09:00 GMT).

Police said they had surrounded the Westgate mall, which is popular with wealthy Kenyans and expatriates, and urged residents to stay away from the area.

'Not ordinary thugs'

Alan Boswell, a freelance reporter who has been outside the shopping centre, told Al Jazeera that a strong firefight broke out earlier, and that there are still people being evacuated from the mall, some on stretchers.

"Many of them are quite terrified - they're crying, they're clutching their children," said Boswell.

An unknown number of attackers, he said, were still inside and in control of certain parts of the mall, where a heavy security presence remains.

"There's been no indication that [the situation] is under control," said Boswell.

One report says 80 people are trapped in the basement. Police say they have managed to escort some shoppers to safety but are still trying to capture the gunmen.

Billow Kerrow, a senator from Mandera County in Nairobi, said it is still unknown who the attackers are.

"It's too early to know what kind of people these are, but from what we are getting, these are people who speak in the Swahili language," said Kerrow.

"They are people who seem to know what they are doing, are pretty much organised. It's really quite a shocking thing because from what we're getting, they aren't ordinary thugs," he said.

[MenaceToSociety]

Would u stop copying my breaking news ..it's a copyright right violation

[AbtiiDoon]

Just saw this on the news. Shabaab have taken responsibilty.

Now the kenyan police will terorise the somalis for about a month smh

[Khalid Ali]

^^ Why do you support terrorism

[MenaceToSociety]

Just saw this on the news. Shabaab have taken responsibilty.

Now the kenyan police will terorise the somalis for about a month smh

Source please,

[AbtiiDoon]

Bbc, al jazeera etc

Warsheekh bro you serious?

[MenaceToSociety]

ASAP....it'll b murder she wrote..the number of casualty is growing..already Somalis have been pulled out of their houses, massacre in progress ...Abdiwahaab call your wife..hyperactive call your 8 year old wife in Nairobi...Menace call your illegitimate child ( why am I talking to my self)

[Leopard2]

ASAP....it'll b murder she wrote..the number of casualty is growing..already Somalis have been pulled out of their houses, massacre in progress ...Abdiwahaab call your wife..hyperactive call your 8 year old wife in Nairobi...Menace call your illegitimate child ( why am I talking to my self)

4 REAL?

[Colonel]

HSM doesn't care about the safety of Muslims in neither Somalia or Kenya. These guys have really lost it claiming any act which happens in the region out of desperation.

Between BBC pictures clearly showed that the gunmen were Swahili/Kenyan.

[GeoSeven]

The attackers look Bantu/Swahili whereas some of the policeman helping to fight them are clearly Somali. It's a good thing

[Individual]

Frank Mugungu, an off-duty army sergeant major, said he saw four male attackers and one female attacker. “One was Somali. The others were black,” he said.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/world/afric ... story.html

[SecretAgent]

Frank Mugungu, an off-duty army sergeant major, said he saw four male attackers and one female attacker. “One was Somali. The others were black,” he said.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/world/afric ... story.html

Hydrogen was right somalis r not black!

[jamal9]

A senior figure in the Somali militant group al-Shabab has told the BBC it carried out a deadly attack on a shopping centre in neighbouring Kenya.

Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, said the attack was in response to Kenya's presence in Somalia, where its troops have been fighting the militants since 2011.

A senior Kenyan security official has put the death toll at 30.

However, the Red Cross says at least 30 people were killed and dozens injured.

On its Twitter feed, al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, said it was behind what it called the "Westgate spectacle".

The attackers entered the Westgate centre at about 12:00 local time (09:00 GMT), throwing grenades and firing automatic weapons.

Dozens of shoppers fled; many were trapped inside. Officers have been going shop to shop to secure the area.

Al-Shabab also said on Twitter that its fighters were still battling Kenyan security forces inside the Westgate centre, some seven hours after the assault began.

One gunman was arrested, Kenyan officials said.

The permanent secretary in the Internal Security Ministry, Mutea Iringo, said special forces were "evacuating civilians and searching for the criminals".

Some witnesses said Muslims were told to leave and that non-Muslims would be targeted.

"They came and said: 'If you are Muslim, stand up. We've come to rescue you," said Elijah Lamau.

He said the Muslims left with their hands up, and then the gunmen shot two people.

The US state department says it has reports that American citizens were injured in what it called "a senseless act of violence".

The BBC's David Okwembah, in Nairobi, says this is one of the worst incidents in Kenya since the attack on the US embassy in August 1998.

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24191606

[Colonel]

Frank Mugungu, an off-duty army sergeant major, said he saw four male attackers and one female attacker. “One was Somali. The others were black,” he said.

http://m.washingtonpost.com/world/afric ... story.html

I bet the female was Somali who tought the 3 guys were Abu Tyrones

[jamal9]

It is time to wipe out al-kabab for good. The heat will be on all ethnic Somalis in Kenya now.