KENYA: EXPLOSION, SMOKE, GUNFIRE...Army claims control of Westgate mall, two terrorists killed

Kenyan forces assaulted terrorists in Nairobi's Westgate Shopping Mall on Monday afternoon, killing two and claiming to take control of all floors of the building despite the continued presence of gunmen inside.

It was unclear if any hostages remained inside the building, but authorities expect the number to be "very, very minimal," if any remain, Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said at a news briefing. Most had already been evacuated, he said Monday, the third day of the siege.

 

Heavy smoke rises from the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, where hostages were being held for a third day on Monday, September 23. Gunmen burst into the mall and opened fire in a deadly attack on September 21. Terrorists from the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab group were believed to have about 10 remaining hostages on one level of the mall, security officials said.

People run for cover outside the mall after heavy shooting started on September 23.

 

Soldiers take cover after gunfire near the mall on September 23.

 

 

The Kenya Red Cross said that 62 people had died since the siege began Saturday. The agency had previously reported 69 deaths. Some bodies been counted twice, it said on Twitter.

Dark smoke seen rising from the building after Monday's assault began was from fires set by the gunmen to distract forces from the assault, Lenku said.

 

Terrorists appear to be on the run inside the mall, which Lenku said was sealed off to prevent their escape.

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"We are in charge of the situation, our people are safe," he said.

Before the assault, Terrorists from the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab group were believed to have about 10 hostages on one level of the mall, security officials said.

 

An unspecified number of hostages then were freed overnight, the head of the Kenyan police force said.

 

Outside the security perimeter around the mall, volunteers waited Monday for their chance to go inside and recover bodies.

At a community center nearby, a distraught woman continued to seek information about her missing husband, a mall employee.

Sporadic gunfire continued into Monday morning, but it could not be determined if security forces or militants were firing at each other.

Israeli special forces were at the scene, Kenyan government sources told CNN.

The FBI is looking into claims by Al-Shabaab of American citizens being involved the attack but have not confirmed the claims, law enforcement officials told CNN.

 

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