Kenyan president: Nairobi siege over, 61 civilians, 5 terrorists dead
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the siege in Nairobi’s Westgate shopping center is over. A total of 61 civilians were killed in the attack, while five terrorist attackers were killed and another 11 are now in custody, the president said.
Kenya has "ashamed and defeated" the attackers, President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a television address. "Our country is safe," Kenyatta said, urging people to remain calm.
He said he could not confirm intelligence reports that suggested Americans and a British woman were involved in carrying out the attack.
Forensic experts are now working to identify the nationalities of the terrorists, he said.
The attack has left a total of 72 people dead, including 61 civilians, six members of the Kenyan security forces and five terrorists. A total of 240 people were either killed or injured. Three stores in the mall have collapsed, leaving more bodies trapped, according to the President.
Kenyatta declared three days of national mourning.
The assault by security forces to free hostages began at dawn on Monday, with a volley of explosions and heavy fire at the scene.
The fighting, including sporadic gunfire and explosions at the besieged mall, restarted shortly after the Kenyan Interior Ministry reassured the public that its forces were "in control" of the situation, after freeing all the hostages.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, the Interior Ministry said: "Our forces are combing the mall floor-by-floor, looking for anyone left behind. We believe all hostages have been released."
However, the Al-Shabaab terror group, which claimed responsibility for the attacks, was still saying its fighters were holding out inside the mall.
“There are [a] countless number of dead bodies still scattered inside the mall, and the Mujahideen are still holding their ground,” Al-Shabab wrote on its Twitter account.
Al-Shabab claimed the hostage siege was a response to Kenyan military operations in Somalia.
The terrorists demanded that Kenyan troops be pulled out of Somalia immediately, and threatened further attacks on the Nairobi shopping mall.
"We will make them suffer what we suffer in southern Somalia,” Ali Mohamud Rage, an Al-Shebaab spokesman, said in a video released by the terrorists. “We are giving a warning to the Kenyan government and to all those who support it.”
Among the victims of the attack are citizens from the US, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, China, South Korea, India, South Africa, the Netherlands and Ghana. Five Americans were injured.
Al-Shabaab had previously threatened to attack the mall, a popular destination for the city’s expatriate community.
Kenya has "ashamed and defeated" the attackers, President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a television address. "Our country is safe," Kenyatta said, urging people to remain calm.
He said he could not confirm intelligence reports that suggested Americans and a British woman were involved in carrying out the attack.
Forensic experts are now working to identify the nationalities of the terrorists, he said.
The attack has left a total of 72 people dead, including 61 civilians, six members of the Kenyan security forces and five terrorists. A total of 240 people were either killed or injured. Three stores in the mall have collapsed, leaving more bodies trapped, according to the President.
Kenyatta declared three days of national mourning.
The assault by security forces to free hostages began at dawn on Monday, with a volley of explosions and heavy fire at the scene.
The fighting, including sporadic gunfire and explosions at the besieged mall, restarted shortly after the Kenyan Interior Ministry reassured the public that its forces were "in control" of the situation, after freeing all the hostages.
Earlier on Tuesday morning, the Interior Ministry said: "Our forces are combing the mall floor-by-floor, looking for anyone left behind. We believe all hostages have been released."
However, the Al-Shabaab terror group, which claimed responsibility for the attacks, was still saying its fighters were holding out inside the mall.
“There are [a] countless number of dead bodies still scattered inside the mall, and the Mujahideen are still holding their ground,” Al-Shabab wrote on its Twitter account.
Al-Shabab claimed the hostage siege was a response to Kenyan military operations in Somalia.
The terrorists demanded that Kenyan troops be pulled out of Somalia immediately, and threatened further attacks on the Nairobi shopping mall.
"We will make them suffer what we suffer in southern Somalia,” Ali Mohamud Rage, an Al-Shebaab spokesman, said in a video released by the terrorists. “We are giving a warning to the Kenyan government and to all those who support it.”
Among the victims of the attack are citizens from the US, Britain, France, Canada, Australia, China, South Korea, India, South Africa, the Netherlands and Ghana. Five Americans were injured.
Al-Shabaab had previously threatened to attack the mall, a popular destination for the city’s expatriate community.
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