0
Comment(s)
*
* The moderation of comments is automated and not cleared manually by indianexpress.com.
Written by Reuters | Nairobi |
September 23, 2013 5:20:23 pm
September 23, 2013 5:20:23 pm
Four thunderous explosions rattled Nairobis besieged upscale mall as Kenyan forces closed in on Islamist terrorists holding hostages Monday,three days after a raid by Somalias al-Shabaab killed at least 62 people.
Upscale mall becomes war zone in Kenya terror attack
Top Kenyan officials said two hostage takers,part of a multinational collection from all over the world, had been killed. It remained unclear how many gunmen and hostages were still cornered in the Westgate shopping centre,two hours after a series of loud explosions and gunfire were followed by a plume of black smoke,that grew in volume from one part of the complex.
Pakistani terror trainer behind Kenyan mall attack?
Best of Express Premium
Kenyas interior minister Joseph Ole Lenku said the evacuation of hostages has gone very,very well and that Kenyan officials are very certain that there are few,if any,hostages left in the building.
Kenya terror attack: PM Manmohan Singh condemns Nairobi carnage
Lenku told a news conference that the militants all men,although some wore womens clothing during the assault had set a fire with mattresses in a supermarket on the malls lower floors. Two terrorists had been killed Monday,he added.
Kenya terror attack: Forces say ‘most’ hostages rescued
Kenyas Chief of Defence forces,Gen. Julius Karangi,said fighters from an array of nations participated in the attack claimed by al-Shabaab,an al Qaeda-linked Somali group.
Among those killed was Ruhila Adatia-Sood,a popular media personality of Indian-origin. She was married to Ketan Sood,who works for USAid in Nairobi,and was pregnant,media reports said.
Kenya terror attack: Obama offers support to Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta
Karangi said Kenyan forces were in charge of all floors inside the mall,although terrorists could still be hiding inside. Security officials near the scene said the blasts heard at lunchtime were caused by Kenyan forces blasting a way in after President Uhuru Kenyatta Sunday dismissed a demand that he pull Kenyan forces out of neighbouring Somalia.
The four explosions were followed by volleys of gunfire,then a thick,dark column of smoke that burned for roughly 90 minutes. Military and police helicopters and one plane circled over the mall,giving the upscale neighborhood the feel of a war zone.
Al-Shabaab warned it would kill hostages if police moved in. From neighboring Somalia,spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage for al-Shabaab said in an audio file posted on a website that the hostage takers had been ordered to take punitive action against the hostages if force was used to try to rescue them.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
